VA L L E J O W E E K LY
Volume 10 | Issue 31 August 4, 2022
The city of vallejo fills two key positions A start in the next chapter of the city’s return to growth and prosperity The City of Vallejo is pleased to announce the addition of two new Directors in Human Resources and Economic Development. After a six-month hiatus from having a permanent Human Resources Director, the City of Vallejo has appointed Rachel Ferguson to the position. Rachel comes to the City with over 25 years of executive leadership experience and, most recently, served as the Deputy Director of Human Resources for the Oakland Housing Authority. The Southern California native said, " I am dedicated to making the City the employer of choice in the greater bay area and working closely with my team to support them in rebuilding the internal structure (staffing) of this City."
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Rachel holds a master's degree in business administration with a focus on leadership & management from the University of La Verne and is an active board member with the National Black MBA Association and a member of the Northern California Human Resources Association and Society for Human Resources Management.
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With the City currently hovering at a 30% vacancy rate, the new HR Director’s primary focus will be on recruitment and retention citywide.
Development Director, Michael Nimon, who joined the City after a two-year tenure with the City of Tracy as their Economic Development Manager. Michael is an economist who brings almost 20 years of experience in community advancement and placemaking and spent 14 of those years as an expert in his field consulting for organizations.
The City also welcomed a new Economic
"I am passionate about public service and
helping local economies thrive. My areas of expertise include major base reuse, land-use economics, public-private partnerships, downtown revitalization, and fiscal and economic studies, all of which I can leverage to support and grow Vallejo's local economy," said Nimon. Michael holds two master's degrees in urban and regional planning and business administration with an emphasis on real estate. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management Science. With City Council's top priority being economic development, the Economic Development Directors' position will play a crucial role in the City's economic growth. Michael will be prioritizing the development of a new economic development strategic plan to map strategies and other projects, launching the City into the next phase of economic prosperity.
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"Like many other cities and municipalities, our City continues to experience staff deficiencies for the amount of work that needs to be done, but the addition of these two highly qualified professionals is a start in rebuilding our capacity, which brings us closer to achieving other goals and that's positive and exciting news for the City," said City Manager Mike Malone.
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The event will take place on August 13 at City
Park, 425 Alabama Street, Vallejo, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. FREE haircuts for kids! Games, food, raffles and live performances, and resources for parents! For more information, visit WatchMeGrowInc. com
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A community resource fair is being held to raise awareness about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and the impact it has on our children and community as a whole. The goal is to provide the community with an array of resources that will help reduce your stress!
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Night Closures of Westbound State Route 37 between Vallejo
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And State Route 121 for Pavement Repairs
See story on next page for more information
Night Closures of Westbound State Route 37 between Vallejo And State Route 121 for Pavement Repairs Closures occur 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, August 14 through Friday, August 19 As part of a pavement rehabilitation project, Caltrans will close westbound State Route 37 (SR-37) between Walnut Avenue in Vallejo and State Route 121 (SR-121) at Sears Point in Sonoma County for five consecutive nights beginning Sunday, August 14 from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Work will conclude by 4:00 a.m., Friday, August 19, 2022.
an eye out for cracking and potholes that might portend future problems. After a recent assessment, Caltrans determined that a pavement rehabilitation project should occur before the wet weather arrives this fall, causing further deterioration and making repairs more difficult. SB-1 funds will be used to make these necessary road repairs. For 24/7 traffic updates, go to 511.org: https:// twitter.com/511SFBay You can also get real-time information on all State Highways in California on our Caltrans Quick Map: http://quickmap.dot. ca.gov/ Please be #WorkZoneAlert Or follow Caltrans on Twitter at https://twitter. com/CaltransD4
The eight-hour nightly closures will allow workers to repair deteriorated pavement and shoulders on a six-mile stretch of westbound SR-37 between Walnut Avenue and Skaggs Island Road. Eastbound SR-37 will not be affected. During the closures, the ramp from Walnut Avenue/Railroad Avenue interchange leading to westbound SR-37 will be closed; however, the remaining ramps will stay open.
Traffic that would be traveling on westbound SR37 during the closure will detour to northbound SR-29, then connect to westbound SR-12, and finally take SR-121 to connect to westbound SR37. (See detour map.) Due to its location atop marshy soil, Caltrans monitors pavement conditions on SR-37, keeping
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The closure will not affect traffic traveling on SR121 to eastbound or westbound SR-37.
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Presented by the City of Vallejo Commision on Culture and the Arts Known artistically as a mixed media mosaic artist, Sherry Tobin attended the True Mosaics/ Institute of Mosaic Art in Oakland, California, where she studied under the the vibrant mosaic artist Laurel True. Sherry’s approach to creating and sharing art is steeped in the spirit of collaboration and inclusion. She wants her art to be fun, and to engage the imagination and creativity of other people, much the way the art of others has done for her. Sherry’s art is accessible and energetic. It encourages a reaction from the viewer whether that response is amazement, amusement, or even just a smile. Sherry enjoys anonymous opportunities to observe reactions of people
experiencing her work. Sherry loves the opportunity to place her sculptures into settings beyond the gallery. One of Sherry’s most renowned pieces is also her modus transportius. She drives a bright red ladybug pickup truck, which is often towing a matching long-lashed ladybug trailer, the latter of which serves as a personally curated art gallery. Sherry hopes her art stretches the mind of the observer to perceive what, to her, is the art in ordinary things. In addition, she looks to mundane objects to expand her own creativity. For example, Sherry really loves to use toilet flush knobs and salt and pepper shakers in her work. She finds that they make perfect noses for sculptures. To learn more about Sherry visit SherryTobin. com, or follow her on Facebook, here.
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Arts in the City: Artist Spotlight
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BANDS + BREWS
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Join the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) for another Bands and Brews event!
The next event will feature Alvon and Johnson and the Allstars on August 12 at Blue Rock Springs Park, Columbus Parkway, Vallejo, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
For more information, click here. Live Music! Free Parking! Free Lawn Seating! Food For Sale! Beer Garden! Bring a Picnic & Your Lawn Chairs or Blanket!
The City of Vallejo invites Vallejo residents, organizations and stakeholders to submit ideas for the eighth cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB), from Monday, August 1 until Monday, September 18. During the Idea Collection Phase, the City will accept capital infrastructure and program and service ideas at public events, in the lobby of City Hill, located at 555 Santa Clara Street. Community members can submit ideas as well as their complete proposals online at myvallejo.com/pb8.
making them ineligible to participate in the PB process. Winning project implementers will be required to make quarterly progress reports to improve transparency and highlight project implementation efforts. In Cycle 8, community members also have the opportunity to assist with the PB process as an outreach volunteer or a budget delegate, by filling out a volunteer form online. Non-profit 501(c)3 organizations interested in being an implementing partner must complete a prequalification application online by Monday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. In 2012, Vallejo became the first in the U.S. to implement a city-wide participatory budgeting process. Funded by Measure B, a one-percent sales tax originally approved by voters in 2011, PB is a democratic process that elicits project ideas from residents and stakeholders. Community volunteers, with the support of City staff, develop ideas into full project proposals for a special ballot.
This Cycle is different from past cycles in that non-profit organizations are welcome to submit their ideas and proposals from the beginning. To broaden the inclusivity of more local non-profits, winning projects will receive funds upfront rather than on a reimbursement basis as was done in the past. In the past, not all non-profit More information is available on the City’s organizations could pass the prequalification website pbvallejo.org. phase because they could not absorb the financial burdens caused by the reimbursement-based payment method
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Participatory Budgeting Is Back with Cycle 8!
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PG&E Invites Customers to a Regional Wildfire Safety Webinar to Discuss PG&E’s Wildfire Prevention Efforts
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To help keep customers and communities safe in the face of the growing wildfire risk across the state, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is continuing to evolve its wildfire safety program to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
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As part of these efforts, PG&E is hosting a wildfire safety webinar for all PG&E customers on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. to share its wildfire prevention plans for 2022 and listen to customer feedback. PG&E experts will provide a brief presentation, after which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. The event can be accessed through the link or dial-in below or through PG&E’s website, pge.com/firesafetywebinars.
Click this link to join: https://bit.ly/3nKIAc9 Attendee Dial-in: 800-619-7898 Conference ID: 5949849 During the webinar event, the PG&E team will discuss: • PG&E’s wildfire prevention efforts • Resources to help customers and communities before, during and after wildfire safety outages • Improvements and updates to PG&E’s safety technology and tools Closed captioning will be available in English, Spanish and Chinese and dial-in numbers will be available for those who aren’t able to join online. For additional information on how to join, recordings and presentation materials from past events and to learn more about PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program, visit pge.com/wildfiresafety. More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at safetyactioncenter.pge.com.
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Park it Market
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Learn current healthcare information and shop the Food is Free Park-It Market at La Clinica Vallejo. Fresh produce and groceries provided!
August markets will be held on Monday, August 8 from 12-2 p.m. and on Thursday, August 25, from 2-4 p.m. at La Clinica Vallejo, 415 Georgia Street. For additional information please visit fifbayarea.org.
Gary’s final meeting was July 28! We appreciate his insight, dedication and
involvement with the Vallejo community throughout the years. Cheers to you, Gary!
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The Greater Vallejo Recreation District would like to extend a big "Thank You!" to Director Gary Salvadori for over 14 years of service as one of the GVRD board members.
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This year’s National Night Out was another smashing success!
participate and visit neighborhoods and connect with YOU!
We had a record event this year with over 28 neighborhoods and organizations participating! We had approximately 75 staff members from across departments
This continues to be a favorite event for the City – we can’t wait to do it again next August!
You can view photos from the event here, and watch a video, here!
HaHa with the Heroes
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 8 P.M.
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Honor their sacrifices and ceaseless efforts to protect our health and keep our country moving forward amid the coronavirus pandemic, including those who provided: • •
Safety Healthcare
And many other necessities that have kept our nation strong and made its recovery possible. Our nation’s essential workers redefined what it truly means to “show up for your neighbor.”
Empress’ Covid-19 Policy: All patrons are required to be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination. For tickets and more information, click here.
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Join the Empress Theatre in honoring the heroes that have held us together during a very trying time in this nation.
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Education Food and groceries Delivery service
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Join our team! We’re currently recruiting for the following positions:
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Assistant Human Resources Director Communications Operator I Communications Operator II (Lateral) Housing and Community Development Program Manager HR Program Manager – Benefits Instrument Technician I/II Plant Maintenance Supervisor (Mechanical)
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Police Cadet Police Officer (Entry – Academy Graduate) Police Officer (Lateral) Police Officer (Recruit) Principal Planner Senior Water Treatment Plant Operator Water Treatment Plant Operator Water Treatment Plant Supervisor
To learn more and apply, visit governmentjobs. com/careers/vallejo.
Photo: Walter Gutierrez
CONTACT
cityofvallejo.net 555 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo, CA 94590 Facebook.com/cityofvallejo Instagram.com/cityofvallejo For maintenance emergencies, please call: (707) 648-5235