Wildfire Recovery Update
 Repair of Fire-Damaged Pedestrian Bridges to Begin in June
Rebuilding efforts for three pedestrian bridges damaged in the wildfires are scheduled to begin in June. Construction will begin with the installation of new wooden decks to the two steel pedestrian bridges located on Parker Hill Road. In Francis Nielson Park the existing wood bridge was damaged beyond repairable condition. The replacement bridge is designed to be more fire retardant than the previous structure. The design includes a combination of metal bean girders topped with reinforced concrete decking and wood railing. LEARN MORE
Hazardous Street Tree Removal to Begin in June
The City of Santa Rosa is preparing for the removal of hazardous fire-damaged street trees. An arborist previously surveyed all trees in the public right-of-way throughout the burn scar areas and identified 700 that pose a hazard and are recommended for removal. A contractor will remove these hazards beginning in June 2019 and the project will take several months to complete. LEARN MORE
Update on Sidewalks Damaged During Fire Debris Removal
The City has received a number of inquiries from homeowners regarding sidewalks that were damaged during the fire debris removal process. Per City Council policy 13-32.020, the maintenance of sidewalks immediately in front of a property is the responsibility of the property owner. Given the scale of damage to the sidewalks in the fire-impacted areas due to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the fires and debris removal mission that followed, and the potential resulting safety hazards in the public right-of-way, the City of Santa Rosa is attempting to work with FEMA to fund a comprehensive City-led sidewalk replacement program. However, it's unclear at this time how much sidewalk replacement will be funded by FEMA and what the approved locations will be. In the meantime, property owners may elect to move forward with removing and replacing the sidewalk along their property frontage. While those costs will not be reimbursed by the City or FEMA, property owners may have individual options for using debris removal insurance proceeds for any private sidewalk repairs. LEARN MORE
A Message for Property Owners Facing Challenges with Their Rebuild Contractor
Ensuring property owners can complete construction and return home as soon as possible is of utmost importance to the City. Property owners who are experiencing significant rebuild delays or challenges due to issues with their construction contractor are encouraged to contact the Resilient City Permit Center to discuss the status of their existing building permit, as well as the permitting options associated with the completion of the home. LEARN MORE
Wildfires After Action Report & Recommendations
The City commissioned an independent After-Action Report to review the events and actions around the October 2017 Wildfires. The report identifies the strengths and areas for improvement of general disaster response efforts and identifies ways in which the City of Santa Rosa can improve resiliency in the face of wildfires. The report presents a total of 23 findings and 54 related recommendations. The City has published the After-Action Report online along with the staff plan for work on each of the report's Findings and Recommendations. LEARN MORE
Pathways to Rebuilding Landscapes Workshop Series
Not sure how to use the FREE Landscape Design Templates? Join us for the two-part Pathways to Rebuilding Landscapes Workshop Series – Part 1 on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 and Part 2 on Saturday, June 12, 2019. REGISTER
Weed Abatement & Fire Season Update
 As fire season approaches following late season rains, the City of Santa Rosa asks that property owners do their part to help keep Santa Rosa fire-safe by abating weeds and grasses on their property throughout the entire fire season ensuring their properties are in compliance with the requirements of the City’s Weed and Rubbish Abatement Ordinance. Fire Department staff will begin conducting inspections of applicable parcels on June 12th. The Ordinance requires property owners to cut weeds and grasses that are over four inches in height on their property if the property is located within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), is a vacant lot (including those in the fire rebuild area), or if the property contains more than a half-acre of unimproved land. Weeds and vegetation will likely grow back throughout the late spring and summer months, and property owners will need to ensure their parcels remain in compliance until the fire season is declared over. The abatement of weeds on city-maintained parcels, including parks and open space within the WUI, has started and will continue into the fire season. The schedule for abating weeds on City-maintained property prioritizes addressing areas of high-fire threat first. Therefore, you may observe unsightly weeds and high grass in lower priority areas — outside of the WUI — for longer periods of time. LEARN MORE
Summer Recreation Programs Begin
 Day camps, swim lessons and sports clinics, plus summer hours at City pools and Lake Ralphine all begin soon! Weekly sessions start June 10th for most activities and continue through the first week of August. Intensive training is happening now for hundreds of counselors, lifeguards, swim instructors, sports coaches, and other seasonal staff. This summer, our Recreation & Parks programs will provide fun and transformative experiences for over 6,000 children! LEARN MORE & SIGN UP
Youth Summer Recreation Scholarships Available
 Scholarships to help offset the cost of swim lessons, summer camps, and lifeguard training programs are provided to families in need to help ensure every child can gain important skills and experience healthy recreation. These scholarships are available now to income-qualifying families and are made possible by donations and fundraising events, such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K. LEARN MORE
Annual Slurry Seal Treatment
 The City slurry seals the pavement of approximately 2.5 million square feet of neighborhood streets every year. Slurry Seal is an emulsified asphalt mixture spread over existing surface streets as a preventative maintenance measure. This pavement treatment helps protect streets by sealing out water intrusion that can cause the asphalt to break apart leading to cracks and potholes. It also provides a new roadway surface with improved skid-resistance while extending the life of the road. Streets selected for slurry seal this year will be treated between July 22nd and August 1st; a map of the selected streets is available online. LEARN MORE
Fulton Road Reconstruction to Implement Use of New Pavement Technology as a Pilot Program
 Reconstruction of Fulton Road from Occidental Road to West 3rd Street is anticipated to begin in June and will use roller compacted concrete (RCC) technology -- the first RCC pavement project to be implemented in all of the Bay Area. This is a pilot project that the City hopes will demonstrate cost savings, durability, and resident satisfaction as RCC pavement is known to last longer than traditional asphalt pavement. Fulton Road Reconstruction will also include underground installation of fiber optic cable lines to improve traffic signal functionality, new sewer and storm drain manholes, and a redesign of the pedestrian ramps to comply with current ADA standards. This project is funded in part by Measure M and SB 1, and the City anticipates it will take four months to complete. LEARN MORE
Candidates Needed for Council-Appointed Boards & Committees
City Council is looking for candidates interested in representing their community by serving on one the following boards or committees with current vacancies:
- Community Advisory Board (seeking 1 northwest area and 1 southwest area representative)
- Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board (seeking 1 disabled community representative & 1 at-large representative)
- Board of Building Regulation Appeals (seeking 4 at-large representatives that may require qualifications such as Architect, General Contractor, Structural, Civil, or Mechanical Engineer, Plumbing Contractor)
- Measure O Citizen’s Oversight Committee (seeking 1 at-large representative)
Interested citizens should apply as soon as possible to be considered for an appointment by Council members. LEARN MORE
Pay for Parking with the Convenience of Your Smart Phone
 With the Passport app you can pay for on and off-street metered parking in Santa Rosa, receive a reminder before time expires, and monitor or extend your parking session (up to the maximum allotted time). All you need is a credit card to set up an account and your vehicle’s license plate number. When parking, you just enter the zone number (found on the Passport decal on the parking meter), select the amount of time you want to park, and be on your way. LEARN MORE
WaterSmart Yard
 Did you know that outdoor irrigation accounts for more than 50% of the average customers water use? The key to being WaterSmart is applying just enough water and only when necessary. Start by scheduling a free WaterSmart Check-up and our WaterSmart experts will help you identify ways to use water more efficiently. We also offer free and convenient weekly watering recommendations. LEARN MORE
Spring Water Supply Update
 More than 30 inches of rainfall fell over the region this winter, filling our local reservoirs that supply drinking water to Santa Rosa and neighboring Russian River communities. As of May 13, 2019, reservoir storage in Lake Sonoma is 99% of capacity and Lake Mendocino is 104% of target water supply storage. To view current water supply levels or learn where your drinking water comes from, visit Sonoma Water’s website. LEARN MORE
Public-Private Partnership (P3) Exploration Kicks-Off
The City recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Technical Advisor that will help evaluate existing City land that could potentially be used to entice housing and mixed-use property developers. This is part of an initiative meant to address the ongoing affordable and entry-level housing shortage for those in the region. The RFP closed on May 21 and the City hopes to select a candidate by the end of this year. LEARN MORE
Direct Flights to Dallas Start June 6
 Starting June 6, Sonoma County Airport will fly direct to Dallas with American Airlines. Between this addition and the Denver flight that started in March (through United), Santa Rosans now have local access to two of the top 20 airports by passengers in the world, and Sonoma County Airport now directly connects to 11 major cities, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle. LEARN MORE
Events and Community Meetings
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McDonald Avenue Tour at the Rural Cemetery
 Saturday, June 8, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery - 1600 Franklin Ave. A free 90-minute docent-led walk through the pioneer cemetery. Tours leave every 20 minutes from the Franklin gate. Note: uneven surfaces and slopes. LEARN MORE
Whitewater Rodeo on Santa Rosa Creek
 Saturday, June 29, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Pierson Street Bridge Build a toy boat and race it down the shallow rapids of Santa Rosa Creek. Laughs and prizes, everyone is a winner! Wear close-toed shoes that can get wet (no sandals). Don’t worry if you don’t have time to build a boat. Materials and assistance are available at the event. LEARN MORE
Santa Rosa 2050 Community Conversations
 Tuesday, June 4 at Rincon Valley Library 6959 Montecito Blvd. Saturday, June 8 at Steele Lane Community Center 415 Steele Ln. The City is updating its general plan and needs your input to lay the groundwork for generations to come on topics like housing, job creation, resilient neighborhoods, and more. LEARN MORE
Become a Junior Giants Coach
 Dates, times, and locations vary Mentors are needed to help coach Junior Giants Baseball! This program offers free, non-competitive baseball for underserved youth. Baseball knowledge is not necessary, more important is the ability to be a positive role model. Make a difference in the lives of kids in need! LEARN MORE
Park a Month - Harvest Park (Dog Park)
 Saturday, June 8, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Harvest Park, 245 Burst Street Bring your friends and work together or come and meet new people while helping to keep our parks in great shape! These family-friendly workdays are a fun and productive way to help beautify a local park through tasks such as cleaning, litter pickup, spreading mulch, weeding and more. It's also a great way for students to earn community service hours. LEARN MORE
Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Workday
Saturday, June 15, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, 1600 Franklin Ave. Join the Rural Cemetery Preservation Committee at their monthly volunteer workday. Projects include cemetery beautification efforts such as weeding and landscaping projects, painting, repairing borders, restoring plots, and various maintenance work. LEARN MORE
First Saturday Clean-up on the Prince Memorial Greenway
 Saturday, July 6, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Olive Park near 1698 Hazel Street On the first Saturday of every month, you can help care for Santa Rosa Creek. Volunteers help pick up trash and perform plant care. Tools and refreshments provided. LEARN MORE
Job Openings
The City of Santa Rosa offers great career opportunities with excellent salary, a generous benefits package, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave package, a choice of three health plans, flexible spending program, and top of the line, employer paid vision and dental coverage.

Water Quality Supervisor | Full-Time | $89,975.00 to $107,984.00 Annually | Water The Water Quality Supervisor is responsible for planning, reviewing, and evaluating water quality programs and activities to ensure Santa Rosa Water meets state and federal water quality standards. Opening Soon
Firefighter-Paramedic | Full-Time | $7,147.42 to $8,580.75 Monthly | Fire Firefighter-Paramedics participate in fire suppression, prevention and rescue activities in protecting life, property and the environment.
Equipment Mechanic I & II | Full-Time | $58,718.40 to $80,662.40 Annually | Transportation & Public Works Equipment Mechanics are responsible for repairing and maintaining a wide range of City vehicles and equipment. Opening Soon.
Bus Operator Trainee | Part-Time | $17.09 to $18.74 hourly | Transit Bus Operator Trainees are trained by the City to be a CityBus Driver; no commercial license required. Drivers safely operate a transit bus, transport passengers on a fixed route basis, and effectively interact with the public.
VIEW ALL CURRENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Seasonal Employment Opportunities
 Recreation & Parks hires over 300 seasonal employees each year for job positions in aquatics, sports, neighborhood services, customer service, park maintenance, concessions, recreation classes, and camps. These are part-time, temporary positions. APPLY NOW
2020 Census Jobs - Earn Extra Income While Helping Your Community
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of people across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count. They are hiring for a variety of temporary jobs, including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff, and supervisory staff. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and be a U.S. citizen. LEARN MORE & APPLY
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