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February 2020

Change to City Council

Richard Dowd, a longtime member of the City’s Board of Public Utilities, was appointed by City Council to fill the vacant Council seat on January 7th. Dowd took his oath of office on January 14th to begin duties to represent Santa Rosa residents through December 2020 when the term expires.  LEARN MORE ABOUT CITY COUNCIL  

The 2020 Census – Confidentiality & Your Survey Response 

The Census 2020 is just a couple months away. As you prepare for the nationwide survey, you may wonder what exactly happens to the data that is collected from your survey response. It’s a good question and one we want to be sure residents here in Santa Rosa know the answer to. Responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure and protected by federal law. Answers provided in the Census can only be used to produce statistics. Census responses cannot be used against a respondent by any government agency or court in any way—not by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), not by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), not by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and not by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The law requires the Census Bureau to keep census information confidential. When you get invited this spring to get counted in the Census, we hope you will knowing your data is safe and secure. WATCH VIDEO

Update on Joe Rodota Trail

The Joe Rodota Trail is a Sonoma County Regional Park space maintained by the County of Sonoma. To address the growing homeless encampment along the Trail the County implemented a number of actions over the last month to attempt to offer trail occupants access to local shelters, supportive housing options, or the temporary emergency shelter at the Los Guillicos campus in east Santa Rosa. On Friday, January 31, the County closed the nearly 2-mile portion of the trail that had been occupied by homeless individuals after declaring a homeless emergency on the trail due to safety and sanitation conditions in the area. The trail will remain fenced off for cleaning during the month of February and will re-open for its intended purpose once cleaning has been completed. Though shelter and/or housing was offered to all trail occupants in advance of the closure, some have chosen to re-locate in other areas including within Santa Rosa. However, clearing the trail was not the end of the work, and the County has shifted focus to their longer term plans, including establishment of two additional longer term shelters and shared homes in order to place more individuals into housing and shelter. The City is coordinating with the County on these plans as well as on additional City efforts to continue to address homelessness throughout the community. READ MORE 

Recovery Update

Inspecting Sewer Lateral Prior to Move-In 

PG&E trenched approximately 14 miles of City streets in 2018 to restore infrastructure damaged by the 2017 fires.  Nearly half of the sewer laterals within the rebuilding areas were crossed over as part of this work. The City has discovered seven sewer laterals damaged by the trenching, and so staff are alerting fire survivors who are rebuilding their homes of this issue as three of the damaged sewer laterals were discovered by homeowners only after occupancy. The City is working with PG&E to have them perform video inspections of all sewer crossings to identify and repair any additional damages, but this work will take time. In the interim, the City is recommending that builders and/or property owners have a sewer lateral video inspection performed prior to reoccupying homes to avoid costly cleanup and property damage. The City has created a guidance document to explain this process further. READ MORE

Resilient City Permit Center Moved 

The City of Santa Rosa’s Resilient City Permit Center has moved to Room 5 at the City Hall complex (100 Santa Rosa Avenue). The Permit Center will continue to operate at City Hall as it has since its inception in November 2017, but will now be located where other ongoing City permit services are also provided. Rebuilding homeowners will continue to receive priority, expedited service. No impact is anticipated to the center’s regular operating hours, and residents and contractors can look for signs around the complex to direct them to the new location. READ MORE   

The Truth About California’s New Water Conservation Laws

A recent news story incorrectly claimed that Californians may be fined for using more than 55 gallons of water per person per day. We would like to set the record straight — NO law requires individual households in California to meet a specific water use target. Recent legislation, Making Conservation a California Way (Assembly Bill 1668 and Senate Bill 606), does require the City to calculate a water efficiency standard by 2023. This standard includes both indoor and outdoor water use and water loss, due to leaks, for the entire service area. Once the water efficient standard is adopted, the City may be subject to fines if the standard is not met, not the individual customer. READ MORE

Campaign Sign Rules 

California will hold a presidential primary election on March 3, 2020, which prompts the posting of campaign signs around our community. Residents who have been granted permission for campaign signs to be posted on their property must adhere to the following rules: signs cannot exceed 16 square feet and must be no more than 9 feet in height if attached. All signs must be taken down 15 days after the date of the election. It’s important that residents are aware of the rules for posting election information. READ MORE

Downtown Station Area Specific Plan 

Broad outreach and high levels of community participation continue to guide the progress the City’s Downtown Station Area Specific Plan (DSASP), thanks to efforts from the project’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC). A scoping meeting was held at Sonoma County Library’s central branch to outline the analysis that will go into the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) being prepared for the plan. The draft plan is available online and we encourage you to submit your feedback. The EIR is currently set for public review at the end of March. READ MORE

Slurry Seal for Residential Streets

Each year the City of Santa Rosa slurry seals the pavement of approximately 2.5 million square feet of residential City streets. Slurry seal is a preventive maintenance application that help protect streets from water penetration, provides a new surface with improved skid-resistance, and extends the life of the roadway. Slurry seal is a cost-effective way to keep a good street in good shape for a longer period. Streets that are in a more deteriorated condition are treated with an asphalt overlay or are reconstructed. This year, streets will be slurry treated between July 27 and August 6, 2020. VIEW MAP / READ MORE

Zero Waste Master Plan 

Santa Rosa's Zero Waste Master Plan (Plan) was approved by City Council on January 28, 2020. The Plan is a demonstration of the City’s dedication to improving the quality of life for our residents by addressing pollution caused by solid waste. According to 2018 data, Santa Rosa residents disposed over 110,000 tons of materials that were sent to the landfill. This disposal rate amounts to approximately 2.8 pounds of franchised waste per person per day and an overall City diversion rate of 40 percent. The City’s zero waste goal is to reduce that number to less than one pound per person per day and achieve a 75 percent diversion rate by 2030. The City must drastically reduce the amount of landfilled waste in order to meet this goal. READ MORE

Downtown Improvements 

A few upgrades are coming to the downtown area. Improved accessibility is the focus for the sidewalk, driveway, and curb ramp reconstruction project scheduled to begin in February along the west side of D Street from Second Street to First Street and in front of the City Hall Annex on Santa Rosa Avenue.  In addition, City Council approved installation of The Portland Loo, a 24-hour prefabricated single-occupant unisex public restroom (adjacent to the City Hall Annex). This will be the first 24-hour public restroom in the downtown corridor. Final delivery and installation of the Loo is scheduled for fall 2020. During construction, intermittent single lane traffic controls may be in effect. D Street Garage 9 and City Hall Annex will remain open during construction. READ MORE

Police Department Unveils New Wrap Design for Vehicles 

Coming to a street near you – Santa Rosa Police unveiled an updated look for patrol vehicles. Only a handful of vehicles currently don the new design and more will be wrapped on a scheduled rotation. Watch the unveiling video to see the new look: WATCH VIDEO

Finley Pool Gets New Heater

Steam rising from the water welcomed users back to the pool at Finley Aquatic Center in January following the installation of a new pool heater. The new heater replaces the original heater, which at nearly 30-years old was in dire need of upgrade. Increased efficiency to meet North Bay Air Quality Standards, as well as much greater reliability, are among the benefits. Thank you to our pool users for your patience during the facility closure to accomplish this significant improvement!  LEARN MORE 

New Activity Guide Available Now    

Your Recreation & Parks Spring/Summer Activity Guide is available now and registration is underway! Sign up for Camp Wa-Tam, tot programs, community events, dance classes, swim lessons, robotics and engineering programs, dog training, sports leagues, events and classes for seniors, and much more. New activities begin as soon as next week, and new sessions start regularly throughout spring and summer. REGISTER NOW

Live at Juilliard Band Submissions 

The City is seeking local bands that primarily perform original music for its annual family-friendly free concert series – Live at Juilliard! The application process is all new this year and all online. Applications are due before 5 p.m. on March 6, 2020. APPLY

Imagine Art in Old Courthouse Square 

The City of Santa Rosa Public Art Program is seeking input from the community before and during the development of a new public art installation in Old Courthouse Square. Results from the survey will be shared with the finalist artists who are invited to submit proposals. This public art will require an artist or team of artists to design, fabricate, and install site-specific public art at the terminus of Mendocino Avenue at the north end of Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa. TAKE THE SURVEY

FairyTale Ball 

February 29, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave 
Dress up and let go to your favorite tunes at our ‘Frozen’-themed Fairytale Ball, where fairytales do come true! This fun event for kids and their favorite chaperones features free-style dancing, dance contests, photo booth, refreshments, and the chance to meet a real live Snow Princess. This event sells out and pre-registration is required. REGISTER NOW 

St. Patrick’s Day 5K – ‘Go Green for Good’ Fundraiser 

Flat Rock Park Volunteer Day

Saturday, February 8, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Flat Rock Footbridge (near 4227 Flat Rock Circle) 
Be a creek steward by taking care of Brush Creek and Flat Rock Park and learn about native plants and how they provide food and shelter for a variety of fish and wildlife. LEARN MORE

Colgan Creek Volunteer Day

Saturday, February 29, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Elsie Allen High School, 599 Bellevue Ave. 
Join our creek stewards at they clean-up and nurture the restored Colgan Creek. This is also an opportunity to learn about the native California plants that grow along creeks and how-to help them thrive. LEARN MORE 

Current 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. 

VIEW ALL JOB POSTINGS

Recreation & Parks Seasonal Jobs 

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