TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Executive Team
DATE: September 20, 2008
RE: ACTIVITY UPDATE – WEEK OF September 13-19, 2008
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
· The City Manager attended the September 10 meeting of the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission to discuss the Commission’s interest in developing a Teen Center in Turlock.
· The City Manager and several of the Executive Team addressed the inaugural class of the Teen Leadership Turlock class. City staff provided the group of twenty students with an overview of the various services provided by local government and also discussed possible careers in local government.
· The City Manager attended the Stanislaus County Office of Education Foundation fund raiser on September 11. This year’s event raised over $130,000 to support such youth activities as Foothill Horizon and the YES Company.
· Mayor Lazar and the City Manager attended a reception on September 12 to welcome new School Superintendent Sonny De Marto and his wife to Turlock.
· Vice Mayor Vander Weide and Council member Howze met with the City Manager, Municipal Services Director and Administrative Services Director as part of the Council subcommittee appointed to review the structure and funding of the parks and recreation functions.
· Mayor Lazar and the City manager attended the Turlock Chamber of Commerce CEO luncheon. This month’s speaker was Supervisor-elect Vito Chiesa.
· Vice Mayor Vander Weide, Council member Spycher, the City Manager, Assistant City Manager and Sgt. Williams met to discuss the development of a program for the possible distribution of vouchers to Turlock’s homeless population this winter. The group will meet again next week and hopes to return to the full City Council in October with a recommendation.
· Vice Mayor Vander Weide, Council member Howze, the City Manager, Municipal Services Director and Administrative Services met to continue their review of the structure of the parks and recreation divisions.
· Mayor Lazar and the City Manager were among many City staff and official from other agencies to address the 2008 Class of Leadership Turlock.
Economic Development/Redevelopment:
· No new items to report.
Housing Program Services:
· Self Help Enterprises (SHE) has selected the first group of 10 qualifying families for the Montana Estates project. Beginning next Tuesday, families will begin the clearance of the site, in order to start trenching as soon as building permits are approved. Permits are expected, by possibly, as early as next week. A wall raising ceremony will be scheduled for late October.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Planning Division:
· Staff met with TW Starkweather and his architects to discuss re-use of the buildings located at 1400 W. Main Street for commercial rather than industrial purposes. Mr. Starkweather is proposing to use approximately 33,000 square feet of the prior “Lactalis” building for a specialty grocery store, catering to the needs of the Hispanic population. The remaining 15,000 square feet in this building would be used for retail or restaurant purposes. In addition, there is a 6,000 square foot building behind the Lactalis building that he would like to convert to assembly space for weddings, etc. In order to provide the necessary parking for these proposed uses, Mr. Starkweather would convert the existing detention basin to the east (which he currently owns), to parking, moving the basin to the rear of the 1400 W. Main. Approval of a General Plan amendment and rezoning of the property, from Industrial to Commercial, would be necessary components of this project.
· Edmond Jacobs met with predevelopment staff to discuss adding three apartment units to a site which has an existing single family dwelling at 1130 Pioneer Ave. The multifamily development would provide landscaping, site improvements and parking. Primary concerns from staff were related to the quantity and location of on-site parking. Staff also identified issues associated with fire access and building code requirements. Mr. Jacobs and his client are going to consider the feedback they received and possibly come in for another predevelopment sometime in the future.
· Mr. and Mrs. Carmona attended a predevelopment meeting to discuss the possibility of a retail bakery at 405 E. Main St. The bakery would share the retail space with an existing retail shoe store. Preliminary comments were related to the need for a grease interceptor and the requirement of development impact fees. The fire and building divisions also provided specific feedback regarding the various codes relevant to commercial bakeries.
Capital Improvement Projects
Projects in Construction
· Golden State and Tuolumne Road Signal: Waiting for Union Pacific Railroad to return.
· Water Reservoirs and Pump Stations: Footings have been poured for the pump station building at the Kilroy site. Next Monday the contractor will begin erecting the steel.
· CNG Maintenance Facility: Half of the punch list has been completed. A meeting will be held next Monday on site to show building processes to City Staff.
· Canal Drive Bike Path: Contractor is waiting for the arrival of the street lights.
· CNG Slow Fill Station: Council awarded the bid on August 12th to Gas Equipment Systems of Rancho Cucamonga and is currently in the contract stage.
· Fire Station #1 Parking Lot: Contract stage.
· Fire Station #3 Gate: Concrete and conduit installation have been completed.
· Fairgrounds Sidewalk: In the contract stage.
· Traffic Signal at Orange & South Avenue: The apparent low bidder is Pacific Excavation out of Elk Grove, Ca and will go to council for approval on October 23rd.
· Demolition of Existing Structures: The apparent low bidder was WC Maloney Inc of Stockton, CA and will go to council for approval on October 14th.
· Interim Police Evidence Facility: In the contract stage.
· Commercial Water Meters: Ready to go out to bid. The engineer’s estimate is $1.8 million.
Projects in Design
· West Main Street and Fransil Signal: Working on acquiring right of way.
· Colorado and Monte Vista Signal Interconnect: Waiting on FTIP amendment.
· Columbia Park Renovations: The architect should be getting plan check comments back from building department.
· Westside Industrial Specific Plan
· City Hall Projects: These projects include Fire Administration, repair of the sewer line in Engineering, repair of the balcony and City Hall HVAC.
· Antenna at Fire Station No. 1: Out to bid next week.
· Water Line Replacement: Surveying has been completed.
· Sewer Line Replacement: Surveying is ongoing.
· Trench Repair 08/09: Locations have been located and design is in progress.
Land Development
· We recently received kudos from a potential developer for our performance during a predevelopment meeting. It is nice to see that all our efforts to improve our customer service reputation are being recognized by the public.
Active Submittals in Process
· 16 – Improvement Plans
· 8 – Parcel Maps
· 15 – Subdivision Maps
· 1 – Lot Line Adjustments
· 4 – Road Dedications / Public Utility Easements
· 1 – Abandonment
· 13 – Approved Plans waiting for permits to be issued.
Recorded Documents
· 1 – Subdivision Map
· 1 – Subdivision Agreement
Permits Issued
· We have had an increased activity in permits this week. They include:
ü 1 – Grading Permits
ü 2 – Encroachment Permits
Land Surveying
· The survey crew continues with the topography for City Project #0847 – Sewer Line Replacement FY 08-09 and City Project #0848 Water Line Replacement 08-09. We are plotting the topography for a base drawing to be utilized for the design.
Public Works Inspectors
· Recently issued permits include City Project #0802 Interim Police Evidence Facility.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Recreation Division:
· The Teen Advisory Council is busy planning the 4th Annual Jr. Golf Tournament. The TAC members have been very busy generating sponsors for this successful program. Currently, there are 86 youth registered for this event. TAC is very fortunate to be working alongside PGA Professional Greg Silva on this project.
· On September 10, the Teens in Action members participated in their 2nd class session. This month’s theme was Turlock Government & Economics. The teens started the day at City Hall, where they heard from the City Manager, Mayor Lazar, Sheila Cumberland, Mike Pitcock and Chief Hampton. Each speaker gave them an overview of their position and the various careers available in each department. The group then traveled to Fire Station 1, where they were given a tour of the station, an overview of their duties and the engines and participated in turnout relays. Then everyone was treated to lunch at Red Robin where Debbie Whitmore gave them an overview of Monte Vista Crossings. After lunch, the participants donned hard hats and were given a tour of the Marriott Hotel. This was an action packed day that all of the teens enjoyed. As was written in the evaluation “I can’t wait until next month’s class session. After only 2 class sessions, I have already learned things about Turlock that I never knew”.
· Turlock Youth Soccer Association began there season for the 2008 year on Saturday, September 13. There are approximately 2,500 children participating in the TYSA program, which is an affiliate of the Recreation Division.
· Baseball Players of America (BPA) hosted a two day tournament at Pedretti Park over the September 13th weekend. Ten teams from the Northern part of the California participated in the tournament.
· Staff attended meetings with the Turlock Community Collaborative, Mayor’s Gang Task Force, and Stanislaus County Children’s Council.
· Upcoming Family event includes the Annual Turkey Trot to be held on November 20, 2008 at Donnelly Park. Pre-registration for the event will be held October 1 through November 5. This year’s event will celebrate the Centennial and will feature crafts, games and activity booths.
Public Facilities Maintenance Division:
Parks
· Central Park – We have almost reached our goal to raise $5,000.00 for the new Central Park Christmas Tree replacement project. We need approximately ten more donors at $100.00 a piece to make our goal.
· Donnelly Park – A Purple Robe tree was vandalized and had to be removed. The restrooms on the east and west side of the park and the wood play park area were tagged with graffiti.
· Sunnyview Park – Completed the construction of the kiosk at the Dog Park, and poured the pads for the benches. Grand Opening of the Dog Park is scheduled for Sept. 27th.
· Graffiti continues to be a problem at Broadway Park, Columbia Park, Crane Park, and Sunnyview Park.
· Pedretti Sports Complex – General maintenance, mowing, blowing, edging, weeding, and irrigation repairs throughout the Complex. Paint and prepare fields for games.
· Turlock Regional Sports Complex – Continue to have a problem with people jumping the fence, moving the soccer goals and playing soccer after the complex has been closed. At least twice a week, staff is called out after hours to remove the trespassers from the complex and remind them that the complex is closed.
· Sprayed Round Up in tree wells, planters, fence lines at all parks, storm ponds, islands and right-of-ways around Turlock. Crews fertilized and gopher baited in the parks.
· Crews continue to do general maintenance, mowing, blowing, edging, weeding, irrigation repairs, cleaning, rake soft fall and playground safety inspections daily at all City Parks and ponds.
Streets
· Painted red curb in Zone 3.
· The patch truck ran for 3 days and used 5 tons of hot mix.
· Installed, replaced and removed 25 street signs throughout Turlock. Trimmed branches from ‘Stop’ sign at Grant and Park St. and removal tree on W. Main and Geer Rd.
Utility Maintenance Division:
Fleet Maintenance
· Diagnosed and repaired vehicles/equipment for the following divisions and departments:
ü Police – 2 work requests
ü Transit bus -13 work requests
ü Public Facilities – 35 work requests
ü Utility Maintenance – 5 work requests (included, Electrical, Collections and Water)
ü Engineering – 2 work requests
ü PM’s Preventive Maintenance work requests -18 which include, A’s, B’s, CHP’s, mini’s, etc.
Electrical/Mechanical Projects
· Installed motor at Well 37, new bearings. Placed well back in service.
· Took the 3 hp Paco sewer pump to Andrews to be rebuilt for spare.
· Repaired drain line outside of gas mixer room, assisted by collections crew.
· Replaced the Fire eye controller chassis at boiler #1.
· Completed the flush of the reclaimed water piping to Pedretti Park.
· Installed new door assembly for SC-100 ph controller at Flume 1&2. Installed new salt bridge assembly for ph probe.
· Reinstalled chain for drive on Tertiary filter #5.
· Completed weekly sewer lift checks.
· Completed USA’s and street light work orders.
· Completed weekly calibrations and cleaning of WQC instrumentation.
Water System Projects
· Made one 10”, two 8”, two 6” and three 2” hot taps for 1100 Glenwood.
· Installed 13 1” meters at 929 through 953 Vermont
· Replaced stolen meter at 2045 E. Marshall.
· Replaced the water service line at 2505 Sebastian.
· Repaired a water lark on the service at 413 Minaret
· Repaired a water leak on the 6” OD Steel main line at Flower and Broadway.
· Installed 1” water meter at 901 High St
· Fire hydrant maintenance at 233 Bothun and 625 Corrello.
Sewer and Storm System Projects
· Installed a sewer clean out at 901 High St.
· Repaired the 8’ sewer easement line between W. Main and Columbia.
· Replaced the 4’ sewer line for 1329 Marshall.
· Cleaned 4871 ft. of existing sewer line Grid D-6.
· Cleaned 4853 ft. of existing sewer lines, monthly runs.
· Televised 5712 ft. of existing sewer main Grid D-6.
· Cleaned 3 catch basins and 5 sewer lift stations.
Miscellaneous and Special Projects
· Demolished the old pump house for Well Pump #9
· Flushed the 12” non potable water line from WQC to Pedretti Park
· Repaired a C/B and drain lines for WQC
· This is the summary for this week’s projects, along with the normal USA’S, well pump and sewer pump maintenance, city bacti samples, water complaints & employee training hours.
Regulatory Affairs Division:
Teens in Action & Leadership Turlock
· We have been preparing presentations, tours and hospitality for the Leadership Turlock day on September 19 and Teens in Action on October 8.
Annual Storm Water Report
· The annual storm water report was submitted this week. This is the last annual report of the five-year duration of the current statewide general storm water permit for small cities. We await the new permit from the State which is way behind schedule. A draft of Turlock’s required Storm Water Pollution Prevention Ordinance is being reviewed by the City Attorney.
Water Meter Project
· Along with the contractor, City staff has been busy trouble-shooting a list of water meters to verify they are working correctly before we make the final payments to the contractor. We are also starting to work on the deployment of more collector units to address dead spots in current coverage.
Storm Drain Stenciling Event
· Staff would like to remind you that next week, September 21-27, 2008 is National Pollution Prevention Week. The Municipal Services department invites you to be a part of Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, by incorporating activities into your daily routine that reduce, reuse and recycle waste. P2 week will conclude P2 week with a community volunteer-based outreach program, in which participants will be stenciling neighborhood storm drains with the message “The Solution=No Pollution”. If you would like to participate in this fun and worth-while event, or would like more information on specific pollution prevention practices, call ext. 4474 or email tcordell@turlock.ca.us.
Go Green Training
· Staff worked with the Recreation Division’s after-school leaders on Saturday, September 13th, to help educate them on the City’s Go Green programs and the importance of environmental stewardship. The focus of the presentation was on the youth/school green programs, to help promote and encourage the participation in the Team Green Kids Club, Green Teen of the Month, Go Green Week and other youth-oriented Go Green programs.
Education Foundation
· Staff has been invited to participate in the TUSD’s Education Foundation Committee. The Foundation’s goal is to develop fundraising programs in which the monies raised can be used to offer district schools the opportunity to apply for funding to be used in educational programs that may require financial assistance. The first meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. tonight at the Walnut Elementary School.
Water Quality Control Division:
· The Regional Water Quality Control Facility achieved Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Total Suspended Solids removal efficiencies of 99% as well as daily effluent Turbidities of 2 NTU or less.
· On Wednesday, September 10, 2008 staff collected the required weekly R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 samples.
· The operations staff continued with the Facility Building Clean-up Project and completion of weekly MP2 (preventive maintenance) work assignments. Staff continued working on numerous paint projects throughout the facility. Staff will be giving four Facility tours over the next month.
· Staff worked on preparing the Biosolids for the yearly removal process starting Monday, September 22, 2008.
· The Contractor for the Fuel Cell Project will be installing the main fuel cell portion on Thursday, September 18, 2008.
· The WQC Facility has encountered 271 days without a lost time accident.
FIRE SERVICES
Operations Division:
· Fire Services responded to 91 calls for service for the week of 9/12 through 9/18.
ü EMS calls – 59
ü Motor Vehicle Accidents – 5
ü Haz Mats – 3
ü Smoke Detectors sounding – 2
ü Assist Invalids – 2
ü Public Assists – 2
ü No Public Contacts – 2
ü Canceled – 2
ü Powerline Down – 1
ü Cooking Fire – 1
ü Building structural Damage -1
ü Overheated Motor – 1
ü Wrong Location – 1
ü False Alarm – 1
ü Person in Distress – 1
ü Smoke Check – 1
ü Dumpster Fire -1
ü Fence Fire – 1
ü Structure Fire – 1
ü Brush Fire – 1
ü Grass Fire -1
Training Division:
· Annual SCBA fit testing and awareness training was provided to line personnel and the reserve division.
Administration Division:
· Members of our Fire and Police Departments partnered with Modesto Police Department and other county agencies to hold a car seat safety event at Smith Chevrolet on Saturday, September 13th. A total of 19 car seat inspections were conducted and 6 children were provided with new seats. In line with national statistics, all of the seats inspected were found to be incorrectly installed or used. Funding for this event was provided by the OES Buckle Up Stanislaus grant.
POLICE SERVICES
Service Demands:
Calls for Service 2033
Criminal Investigations 266
Arrests 75
Staffing Levels:
Sworn Personnel- 86
Deployed 7 (8 Officers: Field Training, 2 Officers: Police Academy).
Vacancies 2
Non-Sworn Personnel- 47
Deployed 42
Vacancies 3
Special Operations Division:
Investigations
· Investigators continue to be busy with active cases. Investigators were called out to assist patrol with cases twice over the weekend and made arrests in both of those cases. Several of the Investigators were attending schools this week as well as conducting firearms training for department members.
Neighborhood Services
· Staff continues to be busy with abatement related issues. Several issues involve abandoned or vacant homes and businesses. Staff assisted with clean-up of graffiti at several locations around the City. They are also working with patrol on a Problem Oriented Policing project in and around Kay Circle.
Field Operations Division:
Traffic Safety:
· DUI Checkpoint – 640 cars came through the checkpoint resulting in one (1) DUI arrest and two (2) arrests for license violations.
· Child Safety Seat Check-up – Held at Smith Chevrolet in conjunction with the Buckle up Stanislaus program. Officers inspected 19 safety seats and found that 100% of them had been incorrectly installed by the parents. Six (6) new seats were provided by the program to motorists in need.
· One of the Traffic Officers assisted Sonora P.D. with a Standardized Field Sobriety Test Course on Tuesday and Wednesday.
· New ticket writers were used this week and the Traffic Unit had high praise for them; finding that they streamlined the citation process.
Significant Events and Trends:
· Weapon Arrest – Officers stopped a vehicle that had individuals who had been involved in several fights and disturbances around the city during the morning hours. The 19 yr old driver was arrested for driving under the influence. A loaded handgun was located in the trunk of the vehicle along with several shotgun rounds.
· Problem Oriented Policing Project (Kay Circle) – Officers are currently working on the project in the areas of Kay Circle in response to community requests about ongoing problems in that area. One of our Lieutenants will be providing Council with an update on the project at the scheduled September 23rd Council Meeting.
