FA LL 2 017
live locally T O W N O F DA N V I L L E Q U A RT E R LY N E W S L E T T E R
Message from the Town Council Happy fall and welcome to the newest edition of Live Locally, the Town of Danville’s Quarterly Newsletter! As you can see, there have been some changes to our look and feel as we work to incorporate the Town’s new branding. We have changed the title of this periodical to reflect those new branding efforts. We have always been focused on the concept of living locally, so it seemed right to make that the title of our quarterly newsletter. There is a lot happening in and around Town as we move into the fall and winter months. Our maintenance crews are prepping for another potentially rainy winter, and even offer some tips for residents on how to reduce their chance of localized flooding. With Halloween around the corner, the Danville Police Department offers up some suggestions on staying safe while trick-or-treating and remind residents to party responsibly when it comes to the holidays. Many events are coming up over the next few months, including our annual Halloween Spooktacular. Hundreds of our young residents dress up and come to the Danville Community Center to enjoy games, crafts and family fun. Other events we look forward to each year include the annual Lighting of the Old Oak Tree and the Mayor’s Installation and Community Service Awards.
Crews install high-visibility green bike lanes along Camino Tassajara
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E Check out our Annual Report section
Work on the Rose St Parking Project moves forward
PA G E S 6 -7
PA G E 5
Inside you’ll also find updates on ongoing projects like the Rose Street Parking Lot and our center spread is an ‘Annual Report’ style overview of all of the service areas in Town government. We hope you enjoy the new look and find the articles inside helpful and informative!
Danville Fallfest A perennial Danville favorite returns again as the Fallfest, formerly known as the Fall Crafts Festival, comes to downtown on October 21 and 22, 2017. This fantastic event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, and is a great place to bring the entire family. Come and enjoy live music, food, wine, children’s activities, and 200 artisan booths, all centered among Danville’s distinguished specialty stores and restaurants. Shop, dine and play right in the heart of the downtown. On Saturday, be sure to bring your favorite ghost, goblin, pirate or princess downtown to take part in the annual Halloween Parade. Parents are encouraged to dress up and join their little ones on the parade route as we go up and down Hartz Avenue. The parade begins at 10:00 a.m. No registration required for this fun annual tradition. Come explore your Downtown and discover all that is new as we #LiveLocallyDanville.
#LiveLocallyDanville
Danville’s Community Branding Campaign Launches After extensive focus group research and feedback from the community, the Town has launched a new marketing and branding campaign to be used in event, project and retail promotions. The newly-adopted Community Marketing and Branding Plan includes logos, a tagline (“Live Locally”), custom photography, brand guidelines and specific marketing strategies to help foster economic vitality. Over the next several months, residents will see the new graphics rolled out in print and on online. This issue of the Danville Quarterly Newsletter reflects the new graphics.
Help us tell the story of what makes Danville a unique and exciting community: ON INSTAGRAM: Use #LiveLocallyDanville on
your images for a chance to be featured on the official Danville account (@TownofDanvilleCA). Remember to geotag your favorite spots in our community. ON FACEBOOK: Follow us at /DanvilleCA to
learn about events and the new campaign. LIVE LOCALLY—visit local restaurants, shops, and services. Living locally means jobs and economic vitality at a local level. For more information about the Community Branding and Marketing Plan, contact Economic Development Manager, Jill Bergman at (925) 3143369 or Administrative Services Director, Nat Rojanasathira at (925) 314-3328.
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Lighting of Old Oak Tree One of the Town’s most charming events, the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree will be held the day after Thanksgiving on Friday, November 24, from 5:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Danville. Come and enjoy this wonderful Town tradition as families gather on Diablo Road around the Town’s landmark oak tree and enjoy music provided by the Danville Girls Chorus and the San Ramon Valley High School Chorus. Marvel as Father Christmas and the Snow Angel share the magic of the season, sprinkle their fairy dust and light the iconic oak tree. Afterwards, event-goers are invited to stroll along the tree-lined sidewalks of the downtown, stopping in for dinner or a cocktail at a local eatery, browsing shops and enjoying holiday merriment and goodies such as hot cocoa, cider and tea provided by Danville merchants.
I N DU LGE
E X PLOR E
It’s all here in Danville
DIS COV E R
Looking for that last minute gift or a place to take visiting friends and family during the holidays? Look no further than downtown Danville! Shop ‘til you drop at one (or all) of the 147 stores and unique specialty shops. Explore its rich history at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley’s Christmas Memories Exhibit. But don’t leave without discovering why Danville is a dining destination. Indulge yourself at one of our 65 restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines to suit your taste. By choosing to live locally, we help maintain a sense of community by connecting with an economy that operates on a human scale. When we shop at a locally owned business, a much larger share of the dollars we spend remains in the community in a multitude of ways. Our local retailers are not only the source of truly unique goods and services, they purchase goods from local suppliers, they patronize local banks, they hire local talent and advertise locally. Shopping locally is an easy but vital way of investing in Danville. Show your civic pride this holiday season. Our businesses appreciate your support as you #LiveLocallyDanville.
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Green Lanes Help with Bike Safety STO R M P R E P C H EC K L I ST Check storm drains in front of your home and remove debris from grates
Motorists around Town may have noticed some more ‘colorful’ striping on the roads in certain areas. These new green stripes help to bring attention to bicycle lanes. There are green bike lane markings along Danville Boulevard between Railroad Avenue and El Cerro Boulevard, Camino Tassajara from Sycamore Valley Road to Hansen Lane, Crow Canyon Road from Camino Tassajara to Tassajara Ranch Drive, and Sycamore Valley Road from Camino Ramon to Camino Tassajara. The bright green color helps delineate the bike lanes, alerting motorists to the presence of cyclists. This
helps remind drivers to keep three feet between their vehicles and cyclists and promote safety. In the absence of bike lanes, green bike-sharing arrows, called sharrows, have been installed in travelled lanes to indicate that bicycles can share the marked lanes with motorists. Having clearly marked bike lanes also serves to reinforce bicycling as an effective and environmentally conscious form of active transportation. So far, 6.3 miles of roadway have the green bike lanes. Additional lanes will be considered on arterial and collector streets in future projects.
Don’t put leaves or other items in the gutter Clean any drainage ditches or inlets on your property Don’t dispose of items in creeks Questions? Call (925) 314-3450 for the Maintenance Services Department
Cleaning our Creeks Every year, as winter approaches, the Town’s Maintenance staff takes stock of Danville’s creeks and tributaries prior to the rainy season, removing debris and potential obstructions that may otherwise cause flooding during periods of heavy rain. The Town maintains approximately 6 miles of creeks and ditches, as well as 4,700 storm drain inlets. Considerable amounts of trash, tree limbs and excessive vegetation are removed during the cleanup each year.
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Residents are reminded to take a moment and check drainage culverts and similar areas on their property. After years of drought, the heavy rainfall earlier this year served as a reminder to us all of the importance of keeping our creeks clean. The preventative efforts to remove potential obstructions prior to the rainy season, coupled with ongoing monitoring of water ways during storm events, go a long way in keeping flooding to a minimum each winter.
S P O RTS F I E L D M O R ATO R I U M One of the baseball fields at Osage Station Park to be closed during the moratorium
Rose Street Parking Project Moving Forward
This December, the Town of Danville will close the natural grass athletic fields for the winter as part of the annual sports field moratorium. Every winter, fields are closed to give staff time to repair, renovate and winterize the fields, as well as protect them from major damage during the rainy season. This year, the moratorium is expected to run from December 4, 2017 through March 1, 2018, weather permitting. During this time the grass will receive fertilization, aeration and seeding, along with some much needed rest. The baseball diamond infields will receive new ball field mix and be prepared for the spring baseball season. Town staff takes great pride in the condition of the sports fields and strives to provide users with the best fields possible. Allowing the turf to recover during the winter months gives them a much better chance of staying in good condition throughout the spring, summer and fall sport seasons when they are heavily utilized for everything from baseball to soccer. Residents can find out the status of fields by calling the Sports Field Information Line at (925) 314-3484.
Visitors to Downtown Danville will soon have another option for parking. Construction is well underway for the much-anticipated $5.5 million Rose Street Parking Facility Project. When completed, the parking lot will provide 78 new public parking spaces located at the northwest corner of Rose Street and East Linda Mesa Avenue. Although construction of the project began in June, the official groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 11, 2017. Demolition of the structures and undergrounding of the overhead utilities at the site were completed in late summer. Construction is expected to continue into the fall with opening tentatively scheduled for late 2017. For more information on this project, contact Senior Civil Engineer Steven Jones at (925) 314-3339 or sjones@danville.ca.gov
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2016–2017 Danville Annual Report The Town of Danville provides services to the community in a myriad of ways. This ‘Annual Report’ snapshot gives residents a quick overview of the various service areas and types of work that occur during the year.
Budget At-a-Glance O P E R AT I N G B U D G E T BY F U N C T I O N
O P E R AT I N G R E V E N U E S O U R C ES
TOTAL: $31,711,857
TOTAL: $34,016,068 GENERAL GOVERNMENT $1,933,215
POLICE SERVICES $9,644,494
RECREATION, ARTS & COMMUNITY SERVICES $4,237,893
FRANCHISE FEES $2,378,874 PLANNING & BUILDING $2,752,0600 LIGHTING & LANDSCAPE $3,120,682
MAINTENANCE SERVICES $7,554,321
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES $3,888,736
OTHER $2,872,339
SALES TAX $5,314,000
RECREATION, ARTS & COMMUNITY SERVICES $2,581,657
PROPERTY TAX $13,041,067
MEASURE J & GAS TAX $1,954,849
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES $4,453,198
Police Services 50% reduction in violent crime over 25,418 calls for service responded 6 year period
to or initiated
26% reduction in property crime
627 cases handled by the
from 2015, lowest rate since incorporation
12% increase in accidents, but a 37% REDUCTION in injury accidents
13 locations in Town have Automated License Plate Reader Cameras deployed
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Investigations Unit with a 45.9% CLOSURE RATE
9,518 hours of service donated by Volunteers in Policing
1,906 hours of service donated by Reserve Officers
Police Staff participated in the Polar Plunge, Torch Run, and Opening ceremonies to raise money and support for the Special Olympics of Northern California
2016 –2017
Development Services 22 new parking spaces added along
Danville Boulevard/El Cerro Boulevard
Maintenance Services
Recreation, Arts & Community Services
1,203 total service requests
4,742 households participated
completed
in a registered event or activity
271 streets (44 miles) Slurry Sealed or 14,715 bags of litter resurfaced
2,123 classes and camps for all
Installed green bike lanes on Danville Boulevard to increase the visibility of bicyclists
288 sidewalk repairs
76 productions at the
$2.93M in transportation grant
718 traffic and street name
32 years of Music in the Park 917 volunteers help on RACS
removed
funds procured
performed
signs installed or replaced
ages, infant to seniors
Village Theatre & Art Gallery
programs each year
54 traffic signals maintained
175 street light repairs
800 traffic signal vehicle
1,503 irrigation repairs
Economic Development
248 potholes filled
1,345 people took part in a
detectors replaced
5 traffic signal controllers and cabinets replaced
64,000 lane miles of bike lanes restriped
2,500 SF of green bike lane markings installed
160 Customer Service Requests closed 1,092 Danville Students served
by TRAFFIX (reducing 196,500 vehicle trips and 571,320 vehicle miles traveled annually)
1,500 hours of storm response
5,000 sand bags provided
Residential Retail Survey
68% prefer to dine locally 70% identified events as main driver
to residents
to visit downtown
930 drain inlets inspected
Community Events
5,993 linear feet of
95,000 people visit downtown
and cleaned
pavement markings
133 trees pruned for sign visibility
events each year
13 successful large scale community events held
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TIPS AND T R I C KS FO R A SA F E H A L LOW E E N 1
Costumes should be the right size. Excess material could be a tripping hazard.
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Use face paint instead of masks where possible to improve ability to see.
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Make sure all costume pieces are made of fire retardant material.
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Use reflective tape or stickers on bags or costumes.
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Carry a flashlight or glow stick for lighting.
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Remain in well-lit areas and always use sidewalks where possible.
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Cross the street in designated crosswalks. Don’t cross between parked cars.
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Stay in large groups when traveling through the neighborhood. This helps increase visibility.
An adult should always accompany young children. If older children will be trick-ortreating alone, be sure to review the route with them beforehand and plan on scheduling check-in times. Only visit homes where porch lights are on and never enter a home or a car for a treat.
Safety Sam, the Street Smarts car, visits area schools during the year to promote traffic safety
What is Street Smarts? The San Ramon Valley Street Smarts Program is a traffic safety campaign made possible through a collaborative partnership between the Town of Danville, City of San Ramon, Contra Costa County, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District and other community partners.
The campaign’s goal is to educate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians on issues related to traffic safety and encourage active transportation through outreach programs. These programs include:
E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O LS ASSEMBLIES AND BIKE RODEOS
These events educate students about the basic tenets of traffic safety in a fun and entertaining environment. Students learn about the importance of proper safety, bicycle maintenance and safe riding habits.
M I D D L E S C H O O LS “BMX FLATLAND” ASSEMBLIES
This educational bike safety program, featuring Peter Brandt, professional Flatland BMX performer, delivers an informative and entertaining message to middle school students. “BE REEL” VIDEO CONTEST
The “Be Reel” Video Contest encourages middle school students to create 60-second public service announcement videos on a specific traffic safety theme.
H I G H S C H O O LS CHP “START SMART”
Street Smarts partners with the California Highway Patrol to educate new drivers and their parents or guardians about safe driving practices. For more information, contact Street Smarts Coordinator Dolores Pita at (925) 973-2581 or visit www.street-smarts.com.
Visiting College Students and the Holidays The night before Thanksgiving, sometimes referred to as “College Night” or “Black Wednesday” is rapidly becoming one of the biggest drinking nights of the year. Many college students come home for the holiday and reunite with friends at house parties, bars, or restaurants. The Danville Police Department will have a strong presence in Town on College Night. Returning students and their families are asked to drink responsibly, use designated drivers, or call a taxi rather than get behind the wheel after drinking. Additionally, parents, family, and friends of underage individuals are asked NOT to provide alcohol to minors. Those found to be doing so can face charges from Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor to a violation of the Social Hosting ordinance. Those providing alcohol to minors can also be held criminally or civilly liable should that minor later be involved in an accident or arrest. The holidays are a time of friends, family and fun. Drink responsibly and keep the holidays safe!
W H AT I S T H E S O C I A L H O ST L AW ? A Town of Danville ordinance relating to the consumption of alcohol by people age 20 and under at social gatherings and the liability of those who own or rent the place where the party occurs.
Parents, relatives, adult siblings, or friends are considered liable if a violation is determined. The location can be public or private. Examples are private homes, rented public buildings, and rented hotel rooms (liability rests with any adults present or the adults who rented the location). Juveniles under the age of 18 are subject to a citation to appear with a parent or guardian at the Danville Juvenile Diversion Program in addition to the criminal citation for possession and/or consumption of alcohol. There must be a minimum of five people at the location under the age of 21. Each juvenile/young adult in possession of, or consuming, alcohol is considered a separate violation of this law. Violation of the Social Host Law carries a monetary fine (current California law allows up to $1,000) and is considered either an infraction or misdemeanor offense.
A N N UA L M AYO R ’ S I N STA L L AT I O N A N D COMMUNITY SERVICE AWA R D S The Danville Community is invited to come out Tuesday, December 5, 2017 for the 36th Annual Mayor’s Installation and Community Service Awards. Each year, the community gathers to honor individuals and organizations who have made a difference in the Town of Danville and the Town Council will then select the Mayor and Vice Mayor for 2018. The event will be held at the Village Theatre and Art Gallery, 233 Front Street at 7:00 p.m. Once the event concludes, the community is invited to attend a reception in the Art Gallery. For more information, contact City Clerk Marie Sunseri at (925) 314-3401 or msunseri@danville.ca.gov.
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Wear Orange on Unity Day The Town of Danville is supporting Unity Day, a national movement to bring awareness around the very important and pervasive topic of bullying.
Students at the Danville Teen Centers either wore orange or put orange on to support Unity Day
Unity Day was started by the National Bullying Prevention Center and is an important awareness and support campaign to show community solidarity against bullying. Community members can get involved by wearing orange October 25, 2017 in support of the movement. This is a great time to have a conversation with your children about being an “Upstander” instead of a “Bystander” when they witness bullying. Town of Danville’s Teen Centers will hold special activities during Unity Day around bullying prevention and will have discussions with participants on ways that they can help end bullying. Whether you have children in the community or not, wear orange on October 25 in support of Unity Day. It is an excellent way to stand with your community against bullying and to advocate for kindness, acceptance and inclusion for all. For more information, contact Recreation Services at (925) 314-3400.
The members of Dirty Cello kick off Thursdays@theVT on Nov 9
T H I S FA L L AT T H E V I L L AG E T H E AT R E & A RT GA L L E RY Fall always brings an exciting variety of entertainment options to the Village Theatre. Live music, movies and comedy are all coming to this fantastic Danville venue. Get ready for great music programs as Thursdays @ the VT and the Jazz Room Series return with world-class artists. Thursdays @ the VT kicks off November 9, 2017 with Dirty Cello—a high energy spin on blues and bluegrass. The Jazz Room continues on November 11 with The Kelly Park
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Big Band. As the year closes out, come enjoy a special acoustic holiday show in the Art Gallery December 10. The second part of Thursdays @ the VT is all about film. Enjoy two fun cult classic films on the big screen in the theater. October 5 will feature Hocus Pocus, and then December 7 it will be holiday hilarity with A Christmas Story. New to the theatre this winter is Comedy with Liz Grant & Friends. This fast-paced revue features comic headliners from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and beyond. Shows are set for October 25, November 2, and December 6. These shows have an age requirement of 16 years or older, unless accompanied by an adult. For more details, visit www.danville.ca.gov/vtag.
Need more inspiration? Check out our Instagram page for more inspiration on where to eat, where to shop, what to see, where to play in Danville. Don't forget to follow us and geotag Danville, California!
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U P C O M I N G S P EC I A L E V E N TS T H U R S DAYS AT T H E V T
L I G H T I N G O F T H E O L D OA K T R E E
THURSDAYS: OCT. 5, NOV. 9, DEC. 7 | 7:30 PM
FRIDAY, NOV. 24 | 5:15 PM–8:30 PM
Screening the classics and rocking the house at the Village Theatre’s Movie and Concert series
Cherished family celebration to light downtown’s iconic Oak Tree for the holidays.
T I N S E L A N D T R E A S U R ES
H O M E M A D E H O L I DAY
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
THURSDAY, DEC. 7 | 4:00 PM–5:30 PM (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Folk Art show featuring over 30 artisans at the Veterans Memorial Building in the heart of downtown.
DA N V I L L E FA L L F EST
@TownOfDanvilleCA
@DanvilleINFO
nextdoor.com/danville--ca
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, OCT. 21–22 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
SA N TA’ S M A I L B OX
This classic event offers fun, food, and entertainment for the whole family on Hartz Avenue. More than 200 artists will display their wares and local merchants ready to welcome your visit.
Children can write a letter to Santa that will be mailed north to reach the Jolly ol’ elf himself. Drop-off letters at the Danville Community Center.
S P O O K TAC U L A R C E L E B R AT I O N
TUESDAY, DEC. 5 | 7:00–10:00 PM
THURSDAY, OCT. 26, TWO SESSIONS (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Gather at the Village Theatre to honor individuals and organization who have made a difference in the Danville community.
Dress in costume and enjoy arts and crafts, carnivalstyle games, face painting, trick-or-treating, and more at the Danville Community Center.
V E T E R A N S DAY C E L E B R AT I O N NOV. 10–12, VARIOUS TIMES
Honor our veterans with patriotic commemorations.
#LiveLocallyDanville
A holiday workshop designed for tweens (8-12) to craft gifts that will be cherished by loved ones.
NOV. 27–DEC. 8
C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E AWA R D S
E L F WO R KS H O P FRIDAY, DEC. 8 & SATURDAY, DEC. 9 VARIOUS SESSIONS DANVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER
Children can create hands-on holiday crafts and get a chance to visit and take a photo with Santa. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
danville.ca.gov
YOUR DANVILLE TOWN COUNCIL
Mayor Renee Morgan RMorgan@danville.ca.gov Vice Mayor Newell Arnerich NArnerich@danville.ca.gov Councilmember Robert Storer RStorer@danville.ca.gov Councilmember Karen Stepper Kstepper@danville.ca.gov Councilmember Lisa Blackwell Lblackwell@danville.ca.gov
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