Memorandum – March 5, 2010
03-05-10 8d-Admin Progress Report
Memorandum – February 19, 2010
02-19-10 Admin Progress Report
Memorandum – February 5, 2010
02-05-10 Admin Progress Report
Memorandum – January 8, 2010
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: January 8, 2010
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large.
Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
You can download a pdf version of this memorandum by clicking here.
LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES STARTS INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE
On December 22, 2009, the League of California Cities announced that signatures are
being gathered for a state-wide initiative to qualify for the November 2010 ballot. The measure
is called “Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act”. The purpose of
the measure is to prohibit the state from taking, borrowing or redirecting local taxpayer funds
dedicated to public safety, emergency response and other vital local government services
(including redevelopment). The measure would close loopholes to prevent the taking of local
taxpayer funds currently dedicated to cities, counties and special districts. It would also revoke
the state’s authority to borrow local government property tax funds or divert local redevelopment
funds.
SOLIDWASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION FEE REDUCTION
Effective January 1, 2010, solid waste and recycling collection fees charged by Solid
Wastes of Willits to Willits City residents decreased by 2.79%. That’s right. The fees went
down! Most of the rate decrease results from the automatic expiration of the temporary fuel cost
increase approved by the City Council in 2009. The rest of the rate adjustment came from
consumer price index and pass-throughs of regulatory costs. No action is needed by the City
Council to implement the rate decrease.
H1N1
I received an email for the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency that
H1N1 flu vaccine is now available to the general public (six months and older). A vaccination
clinic is planned for Sunday, January 31, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Baechtel Grove
Middle School.
CITY FISCAL MATTERS
The City’s Financial Statements for June 30, 2009 have been completed by the Auditor.
We expect to schedule a review of the audit at the City Council meeting of January 27, 2010
along with the mid year financial report. The most recent Sales Tax data indicates a Fiscal Year
to Date drop in revenues of 20.7% from Fiscal Year 08/09 to Fiscal Year 09/10. The Sales Tax
Revenue Forecast for the Fiscal Year 09/10 is approximately $141,000 below budget. This is
distressing news that undoubtedly demands further austerity.
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
I have temporarily moved my office down to the Engineering and Public Works office at
the City Yard, because I am serving at the Interim Public Works Director. I am splitting my time
between City Hall and the City Yard.
ASSISTNG THE CITY OF LAKEPORT
The cities in the region have a long tradition of helping each other and cooperation. In
that spirit, I volunteered to assist the City of Lakeport on Monday, January 11, 2010, by sitting
on an interview panel for the new Lakeport City Manager.
Memorandum – December 11, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: December 11, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
GOOD WORK WILLITS PD!
Police Officer Ryan Hutts and Sergeant Tim Ellis apprehended two burglars in the act of ripping off JP’s Club last night. The two thieves are juveniles and are believed to be responsible for a number of break-ins in the community.
RETIREMENTS
The BIG Retirement Party was held on November 21, 2009. Over 150 people celebrated Leah Oberdorf, Kristi Yde, Joe Mondo, David Madrigal, Denny Caine and Marilyn Harden. It was a wonderful party. Kim Moss and her crew of helpers prepared an excellent catered dinner. Finally, I want to say “thanks” to Cathy Sanders and Joanne Cavallari for being the party planners.
MAYOR BURTON
On December 9th the Willits City Council elected Council Member Bruce Burton to be the Mayor for the next year. This is the fifth time that Bruce has served as Mayor. Council Member Victor Hanson was elected to serve as Vice Mayor. Larry Stranske steps back from serving as Mayor to being a Council Member. Larry was nominated to serve a second term as Mayor, however he gracefully declined. Larry served well the past year as the City Mayor, and he deserves the community’s thanks. A special note is that Larry and his wife, Virginia Stranske, are the only husband and wife to both serve as Willits City Mayor.
NEW DEPUTY CITY CLERK IS ON THE JOB
Adrienne Moore started as the Deputy City Clerk this week. Adrienne is a Brooktrails resident, and comes to work in City Hall with an excellent background. She got quickly in the swing of things by clerking the City Council meeting this week. Willits city voters approved Measure B in November which permits the City Council to appoint the City Clerk and City Treasurer. Today is City Clerk Marilyn Harden’s last day on the job before her retirement. At the Council meeting on December 9th, the City Council unanimously approved the introduction of a City ordinance to formally amend the Municipal Code to permit the appointment of the Clerk and Treasurer. The final adoption is planned for next month. The ordinance will then take effect 30 days after final adoption. It is anticipated that Adrienne will then be formally appointed as the Willits City Clerk soon thereafter.
COLD WEATHER AND WATER
The weather was cold this past week. On Monday morning, the Bank of Willits’ thermometer said that it was 21 degrees Fahrenheit when I drove down Main Street at 7:30am. Burrr! The cold snap resulted in a lot of calls for water leaks caused by frozen water lines.
HOLIDAY CRAFTS FAIR IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER
As I am sitting here writing this blog, I am listening to the joyful Christmas music being performed live in the Community Center. The Cultural Arts Commission is sponsoring the 23rd Willits Community Holiday Craft Fair today and tomorrow (December 11th and 12th). The live music sounds great and really makes me feel in the Holiday spirit. I did a quick cruise of the fair, and I am very impressed by the quality and variety of crafts for sale.
H1N1 FLU
A number of City Hall employees are victims of the H1N1 flu. Reported symptoms are fever, headache and generally feeling yucky. Sick employees are staying home. Fortunately so far nobody is so sick as to require going to the hospital. Tamiflu, a prescription medication, is being credited with mitigating symptoms.
TOM WOODHOUSE STRIKES AGAIN
Followers of this blog know that I have mentioned the good works of Tom Woodhouse previously, and he has done it again. Tom organized the peer counseling kids from Willits High School to clean up and cut away the berry vines around the “Welcome to Willits” sign on the north side of Town. I have not checked it out yet, but it is reported to me that you can now read the sign! Thanks Tom. You’re a community asset and few can match your energy!
WEST COMMERCIAL STREET BID BOOK COMPLETED
After the City Council approval of the West Commercial Street design on November 12, 2009, the Public Works Department had a big challenge preparing all the required State and Federal paperwork on time. This was crash program to meet the December 1st deadline. Brett Gronemeyer of Caltrans District 1 wrote about the City’s project submittals: “The format and layout of the Bid Book is very impressive and tops anything I’ve seen from the area agencies. It looks like a great amount of effort went into its preparation. Nice job!”
I want to recognize City employees Jeremy Ronco, Brandi Burtness, David Madrigal, and contract engineer Rod Wilburn of Willow Basin Engineering, for their dedicated work on this project.
Memorandum – November 6, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: November 6, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
PLANNED POWER OUTAGE
The planned power outage on the night of October 24, 2009, went off without major problems. I rode around the City with Police Chief Gonzalez for a couple of hours immediately after the lights went out. Important installations such as the hospital, the Safeway market, the Sewer Treatment Plant Headworks and the Police Station had emergency back up power and were operational. PG&E is stating that there will be a second planned outage on the night of November 14th in order that work on the Willits substation may continue.
THANKS TOM WOODHOUSE AND SHERIFF ALLMAN
Tom Woodhouse has been working with Sheriff Tom Allman to coordinate court ordered community service work to do clean up work within the community. Recently, one of the community service workers trimmed weeds, picked up garbage and painted over the graffiti on the fence that runs along the Skunk tracks between the depot and East Valley Street. The cleanup effort transformed this stretch of railroad right of way. Thanks Tom and Tom!
MEASURE B IS APPROVED BY WILLITS CITY VOTERS
The results from November 3rd special election shows that Measure B is approved by City voters. The vote count published on the Mendocino County website as of the writing of this report says that there are 442 “yes” votes and 356 “no” votes. The Mendocino County Clerk has 28 days from Election Day to certify the vote count. I expect that the final count may vary some depending on the County Clerk’s canvass of ballots, however I don’t think that the outcome will be reversed. Measure B is a special election called by the Willits City Council for the purpose of asking City voters to permit the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions to be appointed rather than elected. The concept behind Measure B is to streamline and save money in City bureaucracy by eliminating two separate elected positions.
WATER
I am writing this report and looking out the window to the scene of a light rain falling on Willits. I am hoping that the moderate early season rains continue. The latest report on City water storage is as follows: there are a total of 645 acre feet (AF) of water in storage. Centennial Reservoir is at 103 AF. The remainder of the City’s water storage is in Morris Reservoir. The City will be turning the flow from Centennial down substantially in the very near future. This is done to preserve the aquatic life in Centennial from being too concentrated and removing the dissolved oxygen.
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 12TH
The City Council meeting in November will be a special meeting on November 12, 2009, because the regular meeting date, which is November 11th, is a National Holiday (Veterans’ Day).
CITY MANAGER’S BROWN BAG LUNCH
The City Manager’s Brown Bag Lunch will be on November 12th at Noon in the City Council Chambers. Usually the lunches are the same day as the regular City Council meetings, which are the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. The date has been changed in November, since the City Council is conducting a Special Meeting on November 12th. The Brown Bag Lunch is a way for City employees to have an opportunity to communicate directly with the City Manager in an informal setting. Employees pack their sack lunches, and there is no set program or agenda at the lunch. The following Brown Bag Lunch will be December 9, 2009. Since there is only one regular City Council meeting scheduled for December 2009, there will be only one Brown Bag Lunch. The lunch will go back to the twice monthly schedule in January 2010.
CITY MANAGER’S BLOG
Similar to the above two items… I will only be writing one blog per month in November and December 2009. I have been asked about my blog on several occasions by citizens and employees, so I know that people are following it and are interested. No worries though. I plan to return to twice per month blogging in January 2010.
CALTRANS MEETING WITH DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS
Mayor Larry Stranske has been working hard to have a representative from Caltrans speak to Downtown Merchants regarding signage and merchandise display regulations on Main Street. Tentatively, a workshop is set for Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at 5:30pm in the City Council Chambers.
ACTION TO CLEAN UP FORECLOSED PROPERTIES
The system to deal with abandoned, foreclosure properties is starting to work. The City received a $2300 check for the fines and administrative costs from a lender on a foreclosed property that the Code Enforcement Officer had taken action to clean up. This is the first lender that has stepped forward and taken responsibility for their property without being threatened. Hopefully clean up of foreclosure properties will take less effort to monitor in the upcoming months as improved working relationships are developed with the various asset management groups.
FIXING UP THE COMMUNITY CENTER
A group of local citizens and City staff worked to spruce up the Community Center a couple of weeks ago in advance of the Howard Hospital Gala. Cathy Sanders took the initiative to organize and direct in the cleaning and painting, including efforts after normal working hours and weekends. John Sherman stepped up with his personal power sprayer and spent a weekend painting the Community Center Hall. Mayor Larry Stranske, Lynn Kennelly and Ron Moorhead chipped in with paint brushes. These are just some of the people that put forward the extra volunteer effort to the benefit of the entire community. Thank you!
SEWER
Late breaking news… I was going through my mail while wrapping up my blog, and I am happy to report that the Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit Public Notice was published by the United States Army Corps of Engineers on November 2, 2009. Response to the notice is required by November 17, 2009. This is a big step forward in the environmental permitting process for the Willits Wastewater Treatment Plant Project.
Memorandum – October 23, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 23, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
WATER
Two moderate rain storms in two weeks and the situation is looking good. I am thankful to Mother Nature for what appears to be an early arrival of seasonal rains. The recent rains did not yet significantly impact reservoir levels. The trend line on reservoir capacity continues downward. Be that as it may, it is estimated that there is 714 acre feet of water in storage in the City reservoirs as of October 15, 2009. The City is well above the November 1st Phase One Water Emergency trigger point, which is set at 500 acre feet.
I am hopeful that moderate seasonal rains continue in order that conditions may be favorable for a distribution system flush project. Staff is beginning the process for planning a water main flush project with execution being targeted for February or March 2010. Steve Anderson, Water Operator 2, is in charge of flush project planning. Due to the drought conditions, it has been at least three years since the last time sediment was flushed from the water system pipes.
MEASURE B
Measure B is a special election called by the Willits City Council for the purpose of asking City voters to permit the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions to be appointed rather than elected. The concept behind Measure B is to streamline and save money in City bureaucracy by eliminating two separate elected positions. The Willits News published a good analysis regarding Measure B written by Linda Williams on October 14, 2009. I encourage City voters to educate themselves on Measure B, and exercise their franchise on or before Election Day (November 3, 2009).
WILLITS KIDS CLUB SNEAK PEEK OPEN HOUSE
On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 4pm to 7pm, there will be a “Sneak Peek Open House at the newly completed Kids Club Building at 1265 Blosser Lane. I am really looking forward to seeing the building occupied by the children and staff. This is a dream that is now being realized.
RETIREMENT PARTY PLANS FOR NOVEMBER 21ST DEVELOPING
As reported in my previous reports, the BIG retirement party is set for November 21, 2009, in the Community Center to honor Leah Oberdorf, Denny Caine, David Madrigal, Kristi Yde, Marilyn Harden and Joe Mondo. Catered dinner will be served sit down style at 7:00pm. On the menu is a choice of meat or veggie lasagna. The cost is $13 per person. Cash contributions for each retiree are being collected. Anyone interested in dinner reservation cards or retiree contribution cards should contact Cathy Sanders at 459-4601.
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 12TH
Typically the Willits City Council only meets once per month in November and December. The City Council meeting in November will be a special meeting on November 12, 2009, because the regular meeting date, which is November 11th, is a National Holiday (Veterans’ Day).
Memorandum – October 9, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 9, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
WILLITS BRANCH COURT CLOSURE
The Mendocino Superior Court officially announced last week that the Willits Branch Court will be closing effective December 31, 2009, due to severe funding reductions from the State of California. I have spoken to County and Superior Court leaders to express the Willits community’s disappointment and dissatisfaction with this decision. The Willits Branch Court closure is going to lead to inconvenience and expense for City operations, especially in the Police Department. In addition, I believe that the community at large will be inconvenienced by having to travel to Ukiah for judicial services, whether civil or criminal.
WATER
I have been reviewing City water usage data which compares the amount of water “shipped” to the City from the treatment plant at Morris Reservoir for the past three years in the month of September. It appears that City water usage is down by 16.8% when comparing September 2007 to September 2009. Please see the following table:
Gallons of Water “Shipped” in September the Past Three Years
September 2007
38.54 million gallons
September 2008
34.41 million gallons
September 2009
32.06 million gallons
This information indicates that citizen water conservation efforts in combination with an emphasis on leak repair are paying off. If you want more information on water conservation, please contact Quinton Rowland at 459-7125.
H1N1 FLU COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
According to Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency, there have been 17 H1N1 related hospitalization and two deaths in Mendocino County as of October 5, 2009. Public health experts are expecting to see increased H1N1 cases as the seasonal flu season arrives. Mendocino County Community Health Services (CHS) will be conducting a community workshop in Willits on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 5:30pm the Willits City Council Chambers (111 East Commercial Street). Public Health Officer Dr. Marvin Trotter will be giving a presentation on H1N1 symptoms, high risk categories and vaccination. There will be time for community question and answer. Anyone with questions on the workshop should contact Theresa McNerlin at 472-2794. This is an issue that the Police Chief Gerry Gonzalez and I have been following closely, and I plan to attend the meeting on October 13th.
BIG RETIREMENT PARTY IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 21ST
As I reported in my last blog, there is going to be a large group of City employees retiring before the end of 2009. This is definitely a “sweet and sour” event. Of course, I am happy to be celebrating this group of long time dedicated City employees, however I am sad that their combined experience will be exiting the scene all at once. So what does a City Manager do? Let’s have a BIG retirement party! Please mark your calendar for the evening of Saturday, November 21, 2009. So please save the date and start recalling your favorite anecdote to share at the party. Cathy Sanders is in charge of party planning. If you want more information, contact Cathy at 459-4601
MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING AT BROOKTRAILS ON OCTOBER 20TH
I received notification that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will be meeting at the Brooktrails Community Center on October 20th. It looks like the meeting will start at 9:30am. The Board of Supervisors has been “taking their show on the road” for the past several years. In my opinion, this is a very valuable program and demonstrates the Board of Supervisors’ interest in reaching out to many outlying communities in Mendocino County. Vice Mayor Bruce Burton and I are planning to be at the meeting to welcome the BOS to the Willits area. People interested in more information on this meeting should contact the Clerk of the Board’s Office at 463-4221.
PG&E ANNOUNCES PLANNED POWER OUTAGE ON OCTOBER 24-25, 2009
Pacific Gas and Electric transmitted notices that there will be a planned power outage in Willits starting on October 24, 2009 at 10:00pm and ending on October 25, 2009 at 8:00am. The purpose of the outage is to replace substation equipment at the Willits Substation. There will be a follow up planned power outage on November 14, 2009, in order to complete substation work.
CONVERSATION WITH CALTRANS ON BYPASS PROJECT
I received a telephone call from Dave Kelley at Caltrans earlier this week. Dave said a few important things that may interest the City Council and community: 1) The Willits Bypass Project must be delivered for California Transportation Commission approval before June 30, 2010; 2) Caltrans management is committed to making the project go and is reassigning personnel to work on it; 3) There is as of yet no resolution on the project’s environmental mitigation plan, however Caltrans has conceptual concurrence from both Federal and State resource agencies on the plan being developed; 4) Caltrans is continuing to purchase right-of-way and mitigation property necessary for the project; and 5) Caltrans wants to continue relinquishment agreement talks with the City of Willits and resolve all issues by June 30, 2010, however there is no requirement that an agreement be approved in order for the bypass project to proceed.
Memorandum – September 18, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 18, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
VOLUNTEERS HELP OUT AT THE SWIMMING POOL
A BIG thanks to Judy Donaldson and Silvia Welykholowa! Judy and Silvia lead a group of volunteers that painted and improved the swimming pool restrooms. The in-kind donation equaled $2,440. This is an excellent example of volunteers that making a difference in the Willits community. Again thanks Judy, Silvia and everyone that helped out and donated to the effort.
WATER
As the dry season enters the final stretch many people ask me how Willits is doing for water supply. I can report that the situation appears good. As of September 15, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 800.5 acre feet. Water storage is approximately 309 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. Based on the present usage trends, the City of Willits water supply will be well above the November 1st Phase One Water Emergency trigger point, which is 500 acre feet.
I am hopeful that seasonal rains will arrive early this season and thus begin reservoir recharge, because the City very much wants to conduct a water main flush project this year. This is a project that has not been carried out in several years due to water shortage issues. The flush project uses a fair volume of water, however it is critical for the removal of sediment that accumulates in the water distribution pipelines.
RETIREMENTS
There are a number of retirements in the City staff that have been recently announced. Some of the familiar City employees that have recently announced that they will retire before the end of 2009 are City Clerk/Human Resource Director Marilyn Harden, Public Work Director David Madrigal, Water Plant Supervisor Denny Caine, Customer Relations Coordinator Leah Oberdorf, Sewer Operator I Joe Mondo, and Police Dispatcher Kristi Yde. Plans are underway for a big farewell for these experienced and dedicated public servants. These retirements are part of the City’s voluntary retirement incentive project.
PROP 1A SECURITIZATION FAILS TO BE ENACTED
On Friday, September 11, 2009, SB 67 failed to be enacted in the State Senate prior to the adjournment of the Legislature. SB 67 is critical because it allows financing of the State’s approximately $1.9 billion (statewide) borrowing of local government’s Proposition 1A revenue. The taking of Proposition 1A tax revenue from local government is an element of the State’s July budget agreement. SB67 provided for an accelerated schedule for securitize the Proposition 1A loan to the State, thus ensuring that local government will receive critical revenue on exactly the same schedule as property taxes would normally be distributed. The failure to pass SB67 is a critical setback for the cities throughout California. I am hopeful that reason will prevail in Sacramento, and that a solution can be found and enacted in the next few weeks. I contacted Assembly Member Wes Chesbro’s office to express concern on this matter. I was assured by Assembly Member Chesbro’s local representative that he supports SB 67, and he is actively lobbying his State Senate colleagues.
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IS OCTOBER 7TH
International Walk to School Day is October 7, 2009. I received a notice from the Willits Walk to School Committee that they are planning events at every school in Willits that day, which promote walking and bicycling to school safely. Anyone interested in more information should call Alan Falleri at City Hall (459-7124).
SALES TAX REVENUE
The preliminary City of Willits sales tax revenue report from the 2nd Quarter of 2009 is in. The news is not encouraging for the City, region or state. The comparison of 2nd Quarter data from 2008 to 2009 indicates a decrease in the City of Willits of 20.9%. This downward trend for the 2nd quarter sales tax is the same for Mendocino County (-18.6), the North Coast Region (-21.5), and statewide (-20.8).
Memorandum – September 4, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 4, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
KIDS CLUB GRANT
The City of Willits recently received a letter from Ms. Patti Keating of the California State Parks and Recreation Department Office of Grants and Local Services. The letter stated that the “new liquidation date” for the Kids Club of Willits project is June 30, 2010. This is very good news, because it means that the City will be completely reimbursed within the terms of State grant for the Kids Club construction. The project was not completed by the grant’s original deadline date of June 30, 2009, due to the suspension of grant progress payments by the State of California. The construction of Kids Club is now proceeding well. It is anticipated that the building completion date will be October 1, 2009.
PERMITS FOR SEWER PLANT IMPROVEMENTS
The City received a letter from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board that the Federal Clean Water Act Section 401 Permit application is complete. On August 26, 2009, the required public notice for comment was posted. The comment period is 21-days. The 401 permit is for activities related to building the next two phases of the improved wastewater treatment plant. Specifically, the 401 Permit addresses the construction of a series of enhanced wetlands, a new plant outfall structure, and pipeline and equipment creek crossings.
Last month, the City finalized the 1600 Permit with the California Department of Fish and Game. The 1600 Permit is another water quality permit needed for the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant. Specifically, the 1600 Permit addresses stream bed alterations needed in Outlet Creek.
Another water quality permit needed for the project is the 404 Permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As of the writing of this report, the 404 Permit application has been deemed complete. The permit is undergoing what is known as Section 7 consultation with various resource agencies. It is my hope that the final 404 Permit will be forthcoming soon.
WATER
As of September 1, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 853 acre feet. Water storage is approximately 301 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. The next important water capacity trigger point for declaring a potential Phase One Water Emergency is November 1st, wherein there must be greater than 500 acre feet in storage.
In regard to the water meter replacement project… As of the writing of this report, approximately 150 water meters have been swapped out.
CITY MANAGER’S BROWN BAG LUNCH
The City Manager’s Brown Bag Lunch is on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Noon in the City Council Chambers. Just remember that the lunch is the same day as the regular City Council meeting. Some times the lunch is moved into the City Hall Conference Room because the chambers is busy. The twice per month Brown Bag Lunch was started six months ago. It is a way for City employees to have an opportunity to communicate directly with the City Manager in an informal setting. Employees bring their sack lunches from home and there is no set program or agenda at the lunch. The next Brown Bag Lunches will be on September 9th, September 23rd and October 14th.