Bark For Your Park Finalist Cities Announced

We’re announcing the finalists cities in our “Bark For Your Park” contest! Click here to see who made it to the top 15! 


SPEAK! SPEAK! It’s time to start barking! 


The 15 finalists have each submitted a two-minute video featuring their community’s commitment and enthusiasm for a dog park. View their videos and vote for their favorite city to win on www.barkforyourpark.com and on PetSafe’s Facebook page. You can vote once per day per voting site from July 13 - August 3.


At the end of the three-week voting stage, the finalist community with the most votes will receive $100,000 toward building a PetSafe dog park. 


That’s not all, 25 semifinalist cities were invited to participate in providing videos. While only 15 cities moved on the finals, we so appreciated their hard work and enthusiasm that we will be sending those cities PetSafe Cinch-it collars for each of your Stage 1 city supporters. Your city sponsor will be contacted directly with information about the collars.

Submitted by Mary Ann Nihart

Pacifica Could Win $100,000 to Build a Dog Park

I'm a member of the community non-profit group in Pacifica called POOCH.  We are one of the 15 FINALISTS in the PetSafe's "Bark For Your Park" Contest, but we need Pacifica's help to win the $100,000 PRIZE to help build Pacifica's first dog park.  The location and design are already approved and plans are in the works now, we just need this money!  

The city with the most votes wins, and there is NO second place!  So we need Pacificans to vote daily for our video submission.  You can vote EVERY DAY for the next three weeks TWICE:

1. Through the PetSafe site at http://www.barkforyourpark.com/city/Pacifica_California 

and ALSO 

2. The PetSafe Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/PetSafeBrand (you have to "like" PetSafe first), then scroll down to the lefthand side to find the "Bark For Your Park" link.  

PetSafe will not sell your email address.  We really need people to vote EVERY DAY, and spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, through word of mouth and e-mail!  Let's give Pacifica the best dog park we can by winning $100,000 and keeping Pacifica beautiful!

Thanks!

Marisa Ryan

P.O.O.C.H
Pacifica Organization of Canine Helperswww.pacificapooch.com

  We're on Facebook!

  

www.facebook.com/pacificapooch

South San Francisco takes over Pacifica's police dispatch

Funny how things can happen quickly when City Council is motivated.  

From  Mercury News/Neil Gonzales, 7/13/11.  "South San Francisco is poised to take over 911 emergency calls for Pacifica, which needs to outsource the service because of its budget problems. The change would result in annual savings for Pacifica but could reduce interactions between police and residents, a Pacifica official said. A South San Francisco official, however, said the switch will not hurt emergency response times in Pacifica.  The South San Francisco City Council is scheduled to consider approving the agreement at a meeting Wednesday. The pact would run over three fiscal years through 2013-14, with South San Francisco being compensated about $612,000 annually, according to a staff report. 

The partnership should benefit both cities, South San Francisco Vice Mayor Richard Garbarino said.  "I don't think they can carry a full dispatch center," Garbarino said of Pacifica. "They are strained economically. We all are." For South San Francisco, he said, "It gives us extra people. It gives us more capacity."  South San Francisco police would hire four additional people for its dispatch center to address the increased workload of covering Pacifica, according to the staff report. Besides its own city, the department already dispatches for Colma, mostly during late-night and early-morning hours. The dispatching transition from Pacifica to South San Francisco is expected to start in early August and last six months because of training for both existing and new employees related to the change and other needs, the report says.

According to Pacifica police Capt. Dave Bertini, outsourcing dispatch would save his city about $280,000 a year. That is part of a plan to slash $700,000 from the Pacifica police budget, he said.  Last month, the Pacifica council approved an overall city budget that lopped off $1.5 million and laid off an equivalent of nearly 20 full-time employees -- including five dispatchers and their supervisor. Those dispatch workers have been invited to apply for employment with South San Francisco, Bertini said, "but there's no guarantee they will get a job there."  Although giving up its dispatch service would yield savings for Pacifica at a time of budget constraints, Bertini said the switch could also bring some difficulties, especially in the beginning. 

Pacifica's police station would not be open 24 hours a day anymore, because no dispatcher would be there, he said. Residents needing to take care of a police matter would have to go to the station during regular business hours.  South San Francisco dispatchers "don't have an intimate knowledge" of Pacifica's geography and would need to become familiar with it, Bertini added.  South San Francisco would also see an increase in the number of emergency calls by covering another city, he said. "It may get busy."  But South San Francisco police Chief Michael Massoni said he doesn't foresee any serious obstacles.  While it's good for dispatchers to become familiar with a city, Massoni said, the computer system would show which officer is the closest to send to an emergency in Pacifica.  The increased call volume also would not be an issue because of the planned hiring of the additional dispatchers, he said. "The cities won't see a decline in service," Massoni said. "They'll see it improve."employees related to the change and other needs, the report says.

Because of the poor economy, cities are continually exploring ways to team up and share the delivery of services. To that end, South San Francisco Mayor Kevin Mullin sees the agreement with Pacifica as "the first step in a larger conversation" about providing dispatch services throughout northern San Mateo County. Mullin hopes South San Francisco "can maybe work with a few other cities in the North County (to) consolidate that operation," he said."  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Enjoying the July weather?

Promises of better weather next week from the Weather Channel 

10 day weather forecast.

Weather forecast today."







Posted by Kathy Meeh

New Wavelength Shows

Tune in to Pacifica Community Television (Comcast cable channel 26) Mondays at 6:30 to catch the latest Wavelength interviews. Here's the schedule:

7/11 and 7/18 Camden Swita, editor of Pacifica Patch. www.pacifica.patch.com

7/25 Erin Tormey, founder of Pacifica's farmer's market. www.coastsidefarmersmarket.org

8/1 Kalima Salahuddin, president of Saving Pacifica Schools. www.savingpacificaschools.com

All three shows can now be viewed online anytime at www.vimeo.com/channels/wavelength.

Ian Butler

State reform strips redevelopment funds from San Mateo County cities

Pacifica reigns unchallenged as a county-wide leader in--drum roll---- mismanagement of redevelopment agency and money loser.

Any explanation from Council?

Submitted by Mark Stechbart

By:Niko  Kyriakou                        | Examiner Staff Writer | 07/10/11 4:00 AM

Money at work: Foster City’s Miramar Apartments, left, is a city-funded project that would not have been built without redevelopment funding. (Mike Koozmin/The Examiner)

Cities across San Mateo County are analyzing whether their redevelopment agencies can afford the annual payments mandated by new state laws or whether they will be forced to close.

Each city is handling things differently, but Foster City’s Redevelopment Agency looks sure to perish.
Click the picture for more.

Two new state laws order these agencies to surrender $1.7 billion in 2012, and $400 million each year after that. Cities are hoping these changes will be derailed by a planned lawsuit against the state, but if redevelopment agencies fail, they must surrender the funds starting in January.

“It’s essentially holding a gun to the redevelopment agencies’ head saying, ‘We’ll eliminate all of you, but if you want to give money to us voluntarily, you can stay in business,’” said Kathy Fairbanks, spokeswoman for the California Redevelopment Association.

Established in the 1970s, redevelopment agencies funnel property taxes into development projects in areas where private investors are reluctant to spend.

Foster City’s agency, which has financed major projects over three decades, including the 20-story Metro Center Tower, would owe $6.2 million next year and $1.5 million every year thereafter. But because it recently closed its largest redevelopment area, it only expects revenues of $825,000 next year, Finance Director Steve Toler said.

Yet the new legislation is indifferent to that, and bases payments on 2008 and 2009 property tax revenues — before the development zone closed, and when property tax revenues were much higher.

Although the agency expects to complete two ongoing projects — Miramar Apartments and Marlin Cover Shopping Center — it will have to give up on plans to develop a 15-acre site next to city hall, a big affordable housing development for seniors and upgrades to two aging shopping centers.

Other cities are less certain of their futures, although the pictures are rosier than in Foster City. In San Mateo, Community Development Director Lisa Grote said some downtown projects in the shoreline area might be canceled, while partly funded projects might not go through.

“We are assessing which projects we would need to defund to make that payment,” Grote said. The state’s ruling would leave San Mateo’s agency with just $300,000 a year for nonhousing-related projects, she noted.

Redwood City Mayor Jeff Ira said the reforms could cut funding for downtown police patrols, which get redevelopment money.

“It puts everything in limbo,” Ira said.

If the agency is to survive, it may need infusions from the city’s reserves or budget amendments, the latter of which is “probably more likely,” Ira said.

Belmont Finance Director Thomas Fil noted that if redevelopment agencies cannot afford payments to the state, they may seek life support from their cities or other lenders.

In Millbrae, a number of planned redevelopment projects look likely to get the boot.

“There are long-term projects that we would appreciate the opportunity to use RDA funding to support,” City Attorney Joan Cafsman said. That particularly includes projects around Millbrae’s BART station, which she said are now on hold.

South San Francisco city manager Barry Nagel said that his city is “still analyzing impacts and options at this time.”

nkyriakou@sfexmainer.com

Law changes may force Belmont to pull plug on job-creation plans

Belmont officials say their efforts to develop a greater sense of community and create thousands of new jobs could be lost to changes to state law regarding city redevelopment agencies.

Shoreway Place Project — a 300,000-square-foot development along U.S. Highway 101 that was to include two hotels, an office building and a 1,200-spot parking garage — was supposed to create about 1,000 jobs, but that’s no longer certain. The city has a negotiating agreement with Bohannon Development, a company run by Scott Bohannon — the man who last week landed his Cessna on Interstate 280.

“There’s some glimmer of hope that the project will be able to proceed because we entered into it prior to June 29,” City Manager Greg Scoles said.

According to John Shirey, executive director of the California Redevelopment Agency, legislation permits redevelopment agencies to keep funding projects to which they are legally obligated. But the complicated process typical of developments such as Shoreway makes it unclear whether those obligations have been met.

Officials also hope that SunEdison’s pledge to open a 400- to 500-job solar plant in Belmont won’t be threatened. The project is slotted to receive “marginal investment from redevelopment,” Scoles said.

Finance Director Thomas Fil said the Belmont Redevelopment Agency faces annual payments to the state that it cannot afford.

Fil said the agency, which earned $8.5 million last year, can afford its 2012 $2.3 million payment to the state, but not the subsequent annual payments of $500,000. So the city is considering options such as loaning money to the agency to keep it alive, he said.

Other threatened Belmont projects include:

• The Firehouse Square development, currently a vacant building on El Camino Real.
• Emmett’s Place, which occupies a block of El Camino Real.
• Belmont Station, near the railroad.
• A development at the corner of Hill Street and El Camino Real.

— Niko Kyriakou


Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/peninsula/2011/07/state-reform-strips-redevelopment-funds-san-mateo-county-cities#ixzz1RiyfxOPx

"State of the City Address" by Mayor Mary Ann Nihart

 
City politics are bipartisan.  Pacifica Democrats hosts the event, and all are welcome.

Date:  Saturday, July 16th, 2011 (RSVP optional).
Time:  9:30am, door opens at 9:00am (the parking lot fills-up, street parking and walk-in if needed).
Place:  Sharp Park Golf Course banquet room, a good breakfast or coffee/tea are available.

Pacifica Tribune/Barbara Arietta, 7/7/11.  "On Saturday, July 16, Mayor Mary Ann Nihart will deliver an updated "State of the City" speech to the Pacifica Democrats at their monthly breakfast meeting, held in the rear banquet room of the Sharp Park Golf Course Restaurant, Francisco and Sharp Park Blvds, in Pacifica. The Mayor's main focus will be on the current financial situation and the present and future economic development plans for the City of Pacifica.

Since the Mayor's annual "State of the City" speech in January, much has happened, including the failure of the much-needed fire assessment tax earlier this spring, leading to a precipitous loss of city jobs, scaling back of administrative positions, and an inevitable diminishment of city services. It has been a very challenging time for the City Manager, the City Council and the staff of the various city departments, as well as for the citizens of Pacifica.

What are some of the changes that have taken place in the last several months? To name a few: Pacifica no longer has an in-house city attorney. That function will be handled through contracted services. The Pacifica Police Department no longer has an in-house police dispatch unit. That function has been transferred to South San Francisco. The Department of Public Works staff has been seriously cut back. There have also been layoffs which have occurred within the other various city departments. Some programs that the City Council once funded have been either eliminated or reduced. This is not a complete list of everything that is occurring, but it gives one a pretty good idea of the very serious cutbacks now happening throughout the city.
 
The situation is quite challenging for all concerned, but not without hope. The mayor will inform the Pacifica Democrats of all that has transpired these past six months since she first spoke to them in January. She will also give them an indication of what is presently being done and what needs to be done in the future,to help navigate Pacifica's "ship of state" to smoother waters and a safe harbor.

All Pacifica Democrats meetings are open to the general public. It is not necessary to be either a club member or a Democrat to attend. A full breakfast is offered for $12; continental for $6 and coffee only for $3.  Doors open at 9 a.m. Seating is between 9 and 9:30 a.m. Meeting runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Barbara Arietta, president, at (415) 246-0775 or barietta@hotmail.com ."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Dan Walters: Will redevelopment emerge in new form?

By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Jul. 8, 2011 - 12:00 am

Redevelopment, a powerful and controversial tool that has remade – for better or worse – California's urban landscape for the past six decades, will soon die.

Or will it?

Two pieces of last month's state budget package abolish the 400 local redevelopment agencies on Oct. 1, but allow them to remain in business – albeit under much tighter state control – if they agree to give big chunks of their property tax revenues to schools, thereby reducing the state treasury's educational burden.

Overall, state officials hope to gain $1.7 billion from the transfer during the 2011-12 fiscal year and about $400 million each year thereafter, plus inflation.

Gov. Jerry Brown and legislators adopted the historic change after years of Capitol machinations over the agencies' shift from blight eradication and low-income housing into complex subsidies for hotels, retail complexes and auto dealerships. It was one of those rare issues that transcended party lines with Democrats and Republicans lining up on both sides.

The two bills also ended months of efforts by redevelopment agencies to buy their way out of political trouble. And at the last moment, a bid by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez to exempt Los Angeles' redevelopment agency from the death sentence failed.

So what now?

A court battle over the abolition decree looms, but if it survives, most cities probably will continue redevelopment projects by paying tribute to the state. However, they'd have less money to spend and less flexibility in how they operate.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/08/3755269/dan-walters-will-redevelopment.html#ixzz1RelnnXtN

Submitted by Jim Alex

Mori Point - Vandals

Mori Point - north side near Sharp Park Golf  Course

Two separate vandals?  1) spray painted sign, 2) breaking-up an bench for beach firewood. 

Probably separate and unrelated issue:  Why does all 110 acres of Mori Point "open space" exist in the middle of a city that needs a commercial downtown-- other than city leadership NIMBYS could do it:  plotted it, promoted it, and did it.  And, although most of us are sympathetic to those who suffer ANY vandalism, including sign and bench destruction, isn't "economic vandalism" a whole lot more serious?

Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, 7/5/11.  "Vandals destroyed an artisan crafted thick wooden bench and marked up an information sign with graffiti at Mori Point recently.  Stunned park employees and citizen liaisons to the GGNRA have been trying to come to grips with who might have been so callous as to take the time to destroy a place where a weary walker can rest.  GGNRA liaison committee member Paul Jones said breaking up the bench to use for a bonfire was so criminally and morally wrong.

'I can say that the National Park Service and the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy (GGPC) have done a marvelous job of transforming Mori Point from a scarred landscape, abuse by off-road vehicles, trash, and years of neglect into a highly valued open space that is used regularly by lots of residents and visitors alike. They have provided functional lift in terms of the wetlands on the site while also giving recreational users a chance to stroll on a boardwalk and peer into the ponds that support threatened and endangered species. It's really the perfect mix in a residential setting of environmental restoration and vast improvement to the recreational opportunities in a coastal environment.

'The wanton destruction of a well constructed park bench is not only the waste of tax dollars, but an insult to our societal values. To burn a bench from a national park for the sake of having a fire on the beach is the truly the height of either selfishness or recklessness or both. Plus, it's the GGNRA community liaison George Durgerian, who is a park service employee, said he was really saddened by the vandalism. He invites the community to report vandalism using the phone number below.  'A lot of people have worked really hard to improve this park. We don't want the acts of a few to destroy that," he said.loss to visitors who might have enjoyed a moment of reflection looking over Sharp Park Beach, the Pacific Ocean or off to the Marin Headlands to the north. We don't know if the park service can afford to replace that bench as the funding came from America Recovery Act funds and those are used up. If all that isn't enough, the beautiful new sign at the entrance to Mori Point was hit by graffiti. This is a sad note and not much thanks to all the hard work of the Park Service staff, the dedicated GGPC staff and countless volunteers from our community who have worked hard to improve conditions at Mori Pt. It's ironic that we're in the running for the 'Best of the Road' contest when some individuals can ruin so much, so quickly with a match and a can of spray paint,' he wrote in an email.

GGNRA community liaison George Durgerian, who is a park service employee, said he was really saddened by the vandalism. He invites the community to report vandalism using the phone number below. 'A lot of people have worked really hard to improve this park. We don't want the acts of a few to destroy that,' he said. Non emergency number to report vandalism at GGNRA - (415) 561-5505."

Reference views of Mori Point -Stroller hikes,  I've added these pictures, because that's what I remember taking a long walk  into into Mori Point from the city side locked gate near the Moose lodge. The road was cut into the left side of the hill, with house back yards and a drop-off on the right side. Other articles:  GGNRA Trails Forever/Mori Point, and Wikipedia/Mori Point, picture is oceanside (beautiful).

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Trip Report: Pacifica!

TripAdvisor review from muchan 5 of Chicago:

Just wanted to give two thumbs up to Pacifica, which seems to get too many thumbs down for not being SF or Half Moon Bay. We stayed Sunday, July 3 at the HI Express, rather than grab an airport hotel before our flight out on the 4th. "Foggy" Pacifica was brilliantly sunny, the beach was just right for us and the food at the little Mexican joint one block off the sand really hit the spot (home made tamales and fish tacos- wish I had some now!). Our commute to the airport was a breeze- and we flew out of Oakland. OK, that was due to light holiday traffic, but still.... Pacifica worked for us.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g32842-i2206-k4616890-Trip_Report_Pacifica-Pacifica_California.html

Posted by Steve Sinai

After the 4th of July, reporting of the $1,000 Fines - ouch!

San Mateo Daily Journal 7/8/11.  "Illegal fireworks led to 22 $1,000 citations, technically an administrative arrest, in San Bruno and Pacifica over the holiday weekend — accounting for a drop in bookings for both cities. Over the Fourth of July weekend, nine people in San Bruno and 13 people in Pacifica were given $1,000 fines. The total of 22 citations is 11 less than last year.

Pacifica also had two arrests related to fireworks, said police Capt. Fernando Realyvasquez. San Bruno police had arrested one juvenile on fireworks charges, said police Cmdr. Noreen Hanlon. For Pacifica, this was a drop in arrests. Realyvasquez called it a typical, busy holiday for the city.

San Bruno had seven additional arrests July 4, two of whom were cited and released, said Hanlon. While the incident started with fireworks, none of the charges were related to the festive explosives. Overall calls for service to the San Bruno Police Department on the Fourth of July were down. Last year, there were 136 calls compared to 111 this year, she said.

San Bruno and Pacifica are the only cities in San Mateo County that allow the sale of fireworks. All police and fire staff in both cities worked this holiday, with Pacifica getting extra help from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Both cities enforce a $1,000 fine for possession of up to 25 pounds of illegal fireworks — a measure they hope will act as a deterrent. Using, selling or having illegal fireworks in San Bruno and Pacifica comes with a steep fine and the possibility of jail time. A 2008 state law allowed both cities to punish those in possession of 25 pounds or less of dangerous fireworks with up to $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Police were also on the lookout for drunk drivers during the holiday weekend. In San Mateo County, California Highway Patrol reported 17 DUI arrests from 6 p.m. Friday, July 1 through midnight Monday. Pacifica reported one additional arrest. Statewide, 1,562 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence, an increase from last year’s 1,438 arrests. From the CHP Bay Area command posts, 251 DUI arrests were reported, compared to 190 arrests during the same time period last year."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Endangered Species update

 Polar Bears were once brown bears, may be again.

From Science News 7/8/11.  "An international team of scientists has discovered that the female ancestor of all living polar bears was a brown bear that lived in the vicinity of present-day Britain and Ireland just prior to the peak of the last ice age -- 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. The research is expected to help guide future conservation efforts for polar bears, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Climate change has forced polar and brown bears to share habitats. Occasionally, the two species interbreed and produce hybrid bears.....   

Polar and brown bears are vastly different species in terms of body size, skin and coat color, fur type, tooth structure, and many other physical features. Behaviorally, they are also quite distinct: Polar bears are expert swimmers that have adapted to a highly specialized, arctic lifestyle, while brown bears -- a species that includes Grizzlies and Kodiaks -- are climbers that prefer the mountain forests, wilderness regions, and river valleys of Europe, Asia, and North America. "Despite these differences, we know that the two species have interbred opportunistically and probably on many occasions during the last 100,000 years," Shapiro said. "Most importantly, previous research has indicated that the brown bear contributed genetic material to the polar bear's mitochondrial lineage -- the maternal part of the genome, or the DNA that is passed exclusively from mothers to offspring. But, until now, it was unclear just when modern polar bears acquired their mitochondrial genome in its present form."  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Pacifica loses

Pacifica Tribune letter-to-the-editor 7/6/11, from Bill Moore. "Pacifica has been informed that because of the budget crises our Pacifica Police Department office will only be opened during business hours and closed the rest of the time. I think the Council may not have been aware of the total ramifications of the Police Department budget cuts such as outsourcing the police dispatchers and cutting an officer and should consider the following. 

Insist a police officer be stationed at the office 24 hours a day and keep the office open. The Police Department should be a place of refuge and a sanctuary people can go to in case of trouble.  In my opinion, the response time will be severely hampered with South San Francisco dispatching and in case of an emergency the police office should be opened.

Council could give up their pay and medical benefits to hire one more police officer or bring our dispatchers back since that would be more beneficial to Pacifica. Working 10 hours a month plus some extemporaneous meetings does not constitute a full-time job. A councilmember in Pacifica should be a voluntary position. Pacifica-authorized committee members who do the majority of the work do not get paid and neither should Council during these economically troubled times. One Councilmember, Len Stone, has already given up his pay and medical benefits for the good of the city and that is appreciated.  At the very least, when a Councilmember decides he or she does not have to attend council meetings for whatever reason they should not be paid. With the absentee rate of at least two of the council members we could have saved thousands already.

Budget cuts to the Fire Department have also put us at a disadvantage. A Pacifica Fire Battalion Chief has just retired and he is not going to be replaced. In addition, the two other Pacifica Battalion Chiefs will be stationed in Daly City with a 40-hour work week doing some tasks and have been told they will not respond to Pacifica calls.

I have been told that the Daly City Fire Chief already has three Deputy Chiefs stationed there as well as three other Battalion Chiefs. Now he will have nine officers, including himself, sitting at desks, and Pacifica will have no full-time Battalion Chiefs stationed in Pacifica. This mandate does not apply to Daly City; they have three other Battalion Chiefs who are stationed at Fire Stations and they work normal fire shifts.

Budget cuts have to be made but it is imperative we understand the full consequences of our actions before implementation. In these cases I don't believe the council did. I think we should review the problems the budget cuts have caused and make corrective changes where necessary.

Submitted by Bill Moore

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Lessons of "living happily ever after"

Truth known, after 25 years Pacifica Environmentalists and the rest of us could now live happily ever after.  The problem is the prenuptial agreement, a contract many of our citizens did not understand, did not see happening, or were not empowered to do anything about. 

Prenuptial agreement. "Prenuptial agreement (antenuptial agreement) n. a written contract between two people who are about to marry, setting out the terms of possession of assets, treatment of future earnings, control of the property of each, and potential division if the marriage is later dissolved. These agreements are fairly common if either or both parties have substantial assets, children from a prior marriage, potential inheritances, high incomes, or have been 'taken' by a prior spouse." Free Dictionary legal definiltion.

Question:  With intended NIMBY economic consequences adversely affecting this City, will the Pacifica  environmentalist now follow the Arnold Schwarzenegger lead and cooperate for the sake of the larger community?  His family, our City. 

(Quick  Zimbo video, Maria Shriver filled for divorce July 1st, and Arnold Schwarzenegger said this will be joint custody of the children, and he wants to give her more than half of their family assets). 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Pacifica City Council meeting, Monday, July 11, 2011

XXX

City Council Agenda, July 11, 2011.

Consent Calendar (pass-through, Summary pages 4-35)
1.   Approval of financial disbursements.
2.   Approval of City Council meeting minutes, 6/27/11.
3.   Approve continued local emergency proclamation,
4.   CA State Department of Education Childcare Division 
       general and preschool Contracts.
5.   Use of facilities contract City of Pacifica and Jefferson Union High School District.
6.   Palmetto Avenue Streetscape engineering project design consultant agreement. 
7.   Emergency repair of Rockaway Beach Force main.

Special presentation (no pages in Summary)
Proclamation - Cecilia Quick 

Consideration (public discussion, Summary pages 36-66)
8.   Off-sale liquor license for Pacifica Shell gas station and convenience store, 95 Bill Drake Way.
9.   Outsourced street light maintenance street sweeping contracts.
10. Dog park design and rules approval, 1220 Linda Mar Boulevard.
11. Economic Development Committee amendment, adding a Chamber of Commerce Board Member.
12. Appoint a citizen to fill a vacancy on the the Economic Development Committee.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Eventually debris from Japan will arrive at Pacifica's shore.

We may need more than Pacifica Beach Coalition for this one.
 
From Silicon Valley Mercury News, 7/4/11.  "Millions of tons of debris that washed into the ocean during Japan's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in March -- everything from furniture to roofs to pieces of cars -- are now moving steadily toward the United States and raising concerns about a potential environmental headache. Scientists using computer models say the wreckage, which is scattered across hundreds of miles of the Pacific Ocean, is expected to reach Midway and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by next spring and beaches in California, Oregon and Washington in 2013 or early 2014.

"Can you imagine San Francisco put through a shredder? A big grinder?" said Curtis Ebbesmeyer, a Seattle oceanographer who has studied marine debris for more than 20 years."The area north of Tokyo was basically shredded. We are going to see boats, parts of homes, lots of plastic bottles, chair cushions, kids' toys, everything." The debris is moving east at roughly 10 miles a day, and is spread over an area about 350 miles wide and 1,300 miles long -- an area roughly the size of California -- Ebbesmeyer estimates, with the leading edge approaching the international date line.

While lots of the material will break up and sink, some will not, he said. "I've seen pieces of wood float for 20 or 30 years," he said. "I have Jeep tires with wheels that floated for 30 years. Things float a lot longer than you think."  Complicating the issue, nobody knows for sure the exact area where the debris is spread or its density. And nobody knows what is still floating, what has sunk, or what may be lurking just below the surface. That's because estimates are based on computer models of currents and winds, rather than actual observations from scientists in boats and planes. After ships with the Navy's 7th Fleet reported and photographed the debris, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Hawaii tracked the refuse with satellites for a month after the March 11 quake and tsunami."  computer modeling and more....

Acknowledgement:  Picture by DJ, posted at Pacifica Tribune pictures.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Time to go get a carbon monoxide detector for your home

Effective July 1, 2011 new CA law requires single family homes be equipped with working carbon monoxide detectors.  The following is a story to get you motivated to comply with that law, and go get some of these carbon monoxide detectors. One thing, most of these CO detectors are sold as plug-in to electrical wall outlets with battery back-up.  If you do not have the direct electrical outlet wall space, battery units CO detectors do exist, look for those.

San Mateo Daily Journal, 7/4/11.  In the winter of 1995, homeowner Mary Watt was given a carbon monoxide alarm detector as a housewarming gift from her father. “I thought it was a little silly,” said Watt, executive director at CALL Primrose in Burlingame. “But little did we know, it saved our lives and it can certainly save the lives of others.” Before going to bed, two of Watt’s carbon monoxide detectors, commonly known as CO detectors, went off in her home. She and her sons had a terrible headache and knew something was wrong. Watt contacted Pacific Gas and Electric and was told her furnace cracked in combustion causing carbon monoxide to burn in the air. If Watt did not have CO detectors installed in her home, she said she and her sons would have died. Watt is grateful with the new California law, Senate Bill 183, that took effect Friday mandating all single-family homes with an attached garage, fireplace or a fossil fuel-burning heater or appliance, be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors. Multi-family properties have until Jan. 1, 2013 to comply with the law.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is a byproduct of burning household appliance material, according to Jim Palisi, fire marshal in Redwood City. The deadly gas can kill a person in minutes by cutting oxygen to the brain. Early symptoms are severe headaches, nausea, faintness, mental confusion, shortness of breath and vomiting, he said.  Palisi said fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ovens, clothes dryers, fireplaces and water heaters produce the toxic gas. If the equipment malfunctions or isn’t installed properly, the carbon monoxide emitted can cause injury or death.

According to Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, carbon monoxide is known as a “silent killer,” each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people and sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation. In addition, it is the leading cause of poisonous death in the United States, according to American Medical Association. A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a CO detector. “Having a CO detector is a small investment that really can help save your life and the lives of your family,” Hoover said. The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act has no provision under state law enforcement after the law is in effect, according to Malcolm Smith, public communications manager of Redwood City. There is an issue for compliance if a death or sickness occurs within a home or building and there is no legal right or mechanism built into the law for enforcement, he added. “We are hopeful that everyone will comply with public safety,” Smith said. “We encourage people to make a small investment that will make a big difference in their lives.”

Palisi said the best safety tip is treat a CO detector as a smoke detector. Keep alarms clear of dust and debris, do not use an oven to heat your home, do not use gas power engines indoors, do not idle a vehicle inside a closed garage space, and make sure your chimney is well inspected and cleaned before every winter, he said. “Remember to treat alarms as the real deal,” Palisi said. “Maintain them. They may seem expensive, but they will definitely save a life.”Homeowners can find plug-in or battery-operated alarm systems starting at $16 at any major hardware store such as Lowe’s, Orchard Supply, Home Depot or Ace. Dual sensor detectors are also available to serve two functions as a CO detector and smoke alarm.  Please visit www.fire.ca.gov for more details.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

After the party

Had a Good 4th of July?

Its over, but yesterday was a fun American Holiday we could all enjoy, except for our pets and the wildlife.   





Posted by Kathy Meeh                                             

Working and going to college

Canada College launches a new degree program for working students

San Mateo County Times/Neil Gonzales, 7/2/11.  "A new program at Cañada College seeks to speed up the process for working students to transfer to a four-year university and earn a bachelor's degree while they continue with their jobs. "People who didn't think they could go to college will finally get a chance to ... actually see a four-year degree as a reality," program coordinator Jeri Eznekier said.  The Working Adults program will help participants earn an associate degree from the community college in two or three years by allowing them to take online courses and attend classes on Thursday nights and Saturdays, organizers said.

"Every credit earned in this program is transferable to public and private colleges and universities," Sarah Perkins, Cañada's vice president of instruction, said in a news release. "Students will follow a predetermined plan of classes, (which will eliminate) guesswork about degree and transfer requirements."

The program starts this fall and will take 35 students every semester. It will offer a two-year degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in social and behavioral science or the humanities. The degree opens up various fields of study, such as education, law and business for students to pursue when they transfer to a four-year school, organizers said. "It's designed to give them the most options," Eznekier said.

The program's students will receive priority enrollment at Cañada for Working Adult.  The San Mateo County Community College District's Measure G parcel tax, which voters passed a year ago, is paying for the program's startup costs of about $90,000, according to Cañada spokesman Robert Hood.classes and one-on-one academic advising to make sure they're taking the courses they need, organizers said.

Other article references -

Students have been asking for such a program because they can't quit their jobs to attend school during the day, Perkins said. They also can't take classes two or three nights a week because of family commitments. The program gives students an accelerated degree program at a bargain, Eznekier added. It's akin to their doing their first two years of a four-year institution but paying community-college rates -- which are much more affordable than those of the University of California or California State University systems, she said. The program is the kind of measure that a study released the past week is calling for to help keep higher education within reach for students, especially those from underprivileged communities." 

Additional reference articles

"Can I work and Go to College", About.com;  "Working and going to college", Hub pages; "Going to College Part Tim Has Perks and Perils, US News, 8/15/07". 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Belmont City Council cancels sewer rate increase

Nope, that would never happen in Pacifica.   

San Mateo Daily Journal, 7/4/11.  "Sewer rates have been climbing steadily in Belmont for more than a decade but the city’s mayor and another councilman have had enough.  

Residents in Belmont will not see an 8 percent increase in their sewer bills next year because Mayor Coralin Feierbach and Councilman Dave Warden voted against the increase at a Tuesday night council meeting.

The increase is needed, according to staff, to rehabilitate pump stations and main pipes that transmit sewage flows and to fund an $8 million bond proposed for fiscal year 2011-2012 for infrastructure fixes. 'The vote means we will have to defer some capital costs,' Belmont Finance Director Thomas Fil said. 'The challenge for the city now is to figure out a way to pay for the capital improvements without the rate increase', Fil said.

The city mailed notice of the proposed charges to 8,242 property owners who then had the opportunity to protest the increase. Property owners could have shot down the proposed increase themselves under Proposition 218 if a majority of them protested the increase.  A majority of 4,122 written protests would have been needed from the public to prevent the increase but the city only received 17 written protests. 'Most people throw those Prop. 218 notices away,' Feierbach told the Daily Journal. The ordinance needed four votes for approval Tuesday night but only got three. Councilmembers Christine Wozniak, David Braunstein and Warren Lieberman voted for the rate increase.

The city boosted the rate 6.75 percent last year, increasing the average resident’s annual bill from $528 to $551.  Since 2000, Feierbach said, sewer rates have nearly doubled for the average resident. At this rate, the mayor said, the rate would be tripled. 'I have voted for sewer increases before but not this one,' she said. The 8 percent increase would have raised the average annual residential sewer charge from $551 to $576, an additional $2.11 per month. The average bill would only go up about 4.6 percent, however, since Belmont residents are using less water currently than in years past.

Initially, decreased water use by Belmont’s customers resulted in revenue projections that overestimated revenue from the city’s sewer rates, according to a staff report. As a result, the sewer fund balance declined. Belmont currently has a minimal capital reserve that cannot fund any projects currently. Warden voted against the rate increase for a variety of reasons but noted sewer rates have climbed excessively in the past 10 years.

'At some point, you have to look for money elsewhere,' Warden said. In years past, the council has raised the rate by 12 percent, 16 percent and 13 percent' Warden said. Warden thinks there may be some other pots of money available to fund capital improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure. 'Redevelopment Agency money, perhaps, could be used for that purpose if it is allowed' Warden said. Infrastructure fixes are needed to prevent sewer overflows, for which the city could be fined, according to the staff report. 'Currently, public works crews with the city are evaluating the system to determine its most critical needs' Fil said. 'The infrastructure projects are part of the city’s sewer master plan' Fil said."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

San Jose rebuilt its downtown with redevelopment money

Pacifica could have done that, but who needs a downtown anyway?

Silicon Valley Mercury News, 7/3/11. Once a powerful center of deal-making for developers and financiers, the 14th floor of San Jose City Hall -- home to the city's storied redevelopment agency -- is now a virtual ghost town. The eight employees who make up the skeletal staff are hard to spot as they roam the labyrinth of unoccupied cubicles and meeting rooms that just last year accommodated 90 people. Signs of the missing are everywhere -- from rolled-up maps and building plans, to rows of bulky project binders and piles of outdated office stationery. A wall of plaques and awards reads like a memorial to bygone days when the redevelopment agency spent freely on big-ticket items that helped rebuild downtown San Jose -- the HP Pavilion, the Fairmont Hotel, the Tech Museum and the convention center.

Yet even as redevelopment agencies around the state are confronting their demise after Gov. Jerry Brown last week signed two bills ostensibly sealing their fates, the San Jose agency's remaining staff is hoping that an anticipated legal battle will keep the agency alive, despite the applause of longtime critics who claim that redevelopment agencies have abused power and squandered taxpayers' money. Amid the uncertainty, Richard Keit, the agency's new managing director, is trying to keep spirits high. "Of course there is a sense of sadness," he said Friday. "But we are still proud of what the agency has done in the past." San Jose, he said, "would look entirely different if not for redevelopment."

The downfall of the state's second-largest redevelopment agency is a stunning reversal to San Jose residents who have watched the agency sink billions into resurrecting its downtown, developing the North First Street tech corridor, funding affordable housing and sprucing up neighborhoods and business districts. The agency's most recent misfortunes can be blamed on Brown, who in January proposed killing off the state's 398 active agencies and diverting the $5 billion they collect annually to cash-strapped schools and local governments. Redevelopment advocates fought back, offering reforms and some money to the state. But Brown wouldn't budge until the Legislature returned with a compromise of sorts: Let the agencies survive if they agree to give a healthy share of their property tax revenue to schools and special districts.not for redevelopment.''

Under one of the budget bills signed by Brown last week, agencies can continue to exist until Oct. 1. But they're prohibited from doing anything more than paying debt and handling existing contracts. The agencies can carry on, however, if by Nov. 1 cities adopt ordinances promising to pay their portion of the $1.7 billion Brown wants from agencies this fiscal year. And starting the following year, each agency would have to pony up its share of $400 million annually.  So far, according to the California Redevelopment Association, about 60 agencies -- including San Jose's -- have indicated they cannot make those payments. "It appears impossible for us to come up with enough money to stay alive,'' San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said of the $47 million the agency is expected to owe the state this year. Even before Brown targeted redevelopment statewide, San Jose's agency was already struggling from a huge drop in property assessments caused by the economic crash and massive debt. The agency estimated that by July 2013 it would have only enough money to pay its debt.

"It's a good thing that we got started a long time ago and transformed our city. Some places "... are just beginning to work on rebuilding their downtowns,'' Reed said. Over the decades, he added, the agency was able to spur enough private-sector investment that "our downtown can stand on its own.''  Keit believes the agency still has a fighting chance of staying alive. The redevelopment association plans to file a lawsuit against the state this month. Attorneys will argue that the $1.7 billion money grab violates Proposition 22, passed by California voters last November to prevent Sacramento from raiding local tax coffers. Meanwhile, he and the seven other employees -- whose salaries add up to almost $1 million annually -- will continue to manage the agency's finances, leases and contracts. Two of the agency's remaining employees are in finance. Two are working with the city's economic development staff to attract more business to the city. One is a project manager. One is a real estate manager. The other is an executive assistant. There are still some previously funded projects to be tackled, including the development of 736 apartments and townhomes in the North San Pedro area. And the agency, through a newly created city authority, will work to buy the last two parcels needed to complete San Jose's field of dreams -- a downtown Major League Baseball stadium where city leaders hope the A's will one day play. Keit said that his staff will soon occupy only a small section at the front of the 14th floor. The rest will be leased to other city departments. For now, though, the sudden silence on the 14th floor is sobering to the few who remain. "I've been with the agency for 20 years, and it's been a privilege for me,'' said finance manager Sandy Shayesteh. "But I don't consider myself lucky, given the way things have gone.''

WHAT IS A REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY? The state Legislature created redevelopment agencies in 1945 to revitalize blighted areas across California. San Jose's agency, created in 1956, is the state's second largest in terms of tax revenue. The agencies are funded by "tax increment'' -- the difference between the property tax generated by an area when it was declared blighted and the property tax level after the area is rejuvenated. Those dollars are used to pay the bondholders who underwrite construction projects such as San Jose's Tech Museum and HP Pavilion.  Of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency's 21 project areas, 12 generate taxes and encompass 8,100 acres. For this fiscal year, the project areas will generate about $180 million in added property tax revenue. Most of that money is now going toward paying off the bonds from years past. 

Reference -  San Jose Redevelopment Agency.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

CA budget and "redevelopment reform" legislation look back

Recently it seems "reform" has become an abused word

From Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA 6/15/11. " .... In total, 19 different pieces of legislation made up the budget package. The budget package represents the first on-time budget in many years and the first majority vote budget since 1933.

Of interest to Grantville area businesses and the residents surrounding it is the future state of redevelopment. Included in the legislative package were two bills (AB 1X 26 and AB 1X 27) designed to eliminate redevelopment by taking $1.7 billion from local redevelopment agencies to fund the state budget.

A coalition opposed to the elimination of redevelopment “condemned” the Senate and Assembly’s narrow passage of a “Two-Bill Scheme” to eliminate redevelopment. Both the League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association called the legislation against redevelopment “Clearly Unconstitutional” and vowed legal action if the Governor signs the two bills.....

ABx1 26 (Blumenfield) – Redevelopment #1:  Abolishes redevelopment agencies and sets up a “successor agency” to administer the agency’s shutdown. For specifics, please see Redevelopment story.

ABx1 27 (Blumenfield) – Redevelopment #2:  Allows redevelopment agencies to continue if specified payments to schools, fire protection agencies, and transit agencies are made." 
You may prefer to read the full article.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh 

Monday, July 4th, 2011

From San Mateo County Times 7/1/11.  On Monday, there will be no shortage of parades to choose from. Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Pacifica and Redwood City will hold patriotic processions of various sizes. Among the myriad other activities countywide, Foster City will feature a dog show, while Redwood City will host a 5K fun run. When night falls, Half Moon Bay will witness the return of its fireworks, thanks to the fundraising effort of American Legion Post 474. The show will take place at Pillar Point Harbor. In Foster City, the pyrotechnics are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. at Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park.... 


Foster City. When: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday. What: Food, music, activities, fireworks (Leo Ryan Park)

More information: 650-286-3380, recreation@fostercity.org

Half Moon Bay. When: Noon till after dark Monday. What: Parade (noon-1 p.m., Main Street); festival and fireworks (11 a.m. till after dark, Harbor illage). More information: 650-726-5705 (parade), www.grubtownarmy.com (festival)

Menlo Park. When: 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday. What: Parade (11:45 p.m., Chestnut Street and Santa Cruz Avenue); festival (noon, Burgess Park)

Pacifica. When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday. What: Festival (Frontierland Park). More information: 650-738-7381

Redwood City. When: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday. What: Pancake breakfast (7:30-10:30 a.m., 755 Marshall St.); Fun Run (8:45 a.m., Brewster and Arguello streets); parade (10 a.m., Brewster Avenue and Winslow Street), festival (9 a.m.-5 p.m., Bradford Street and Middlefield Road). More information www.parade.org."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

CA budget is on time, with $15 billion spending cuts

...and there goes redevelopment money for Pacifica.   

From the Office of Governor Jerry Brown, 6/30/11.  "Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed the 2011-12 California State Budget (SB 87), dropping General Fund spending to the lowest level in decades, returning authority to local government and closing the state’s $26.6 billion deficit.

The budget makes substantial cuts to government programs and reduces state spending by $15 billion. As a result, California’s General Fund spending—as a share of the economy—is now at its lowest level since 1972-73. The budget also takes critical steps to address the state’s long-term fiscal challenges by eliminating more than three-quarters of the structural deficit, putting in-place a $500 million reserve and making a commitment to secure stable funding for core services moving forward.

“This is an honest but painful budget that returns California’s General Fund spending to levels unseen since the 1970s. We’ve cut our deficit by $15 billion dollars and achieved financial balance this year. This is a huge step forward. But California’s long-term stability depends on our willingness to continue to pay down debt and live within our means,” said Governor Brown.

The budget recognizes that, since the May Revision, California’s tax revenues have continued to increase, providing billions of dollars to help close the budget gap and fund education under Proposition 98. Current projections are that $4 billion in revenue will be collected during the next fiscal year. As a safeguard, however, if these revenues are not realized, billions of dollars in additional cuts will be triggered to maintain a balanced budget.

The mix of cuts and revenue allow Governor Brown to maintain two key budgetary priorities, protecting K-12 education and funding the historic realignment initiative. Realignment stops the revolving door in California’s state prison system by making lower-level offenders eligible for incarceration, alternative sanctions and supervision at the local level, which is believed to be far more effective. Realignment is supported by the state’s police chiefs, peace officers, sheriffs and probation officers.

The budget includes $23.8 million in line-item vetoes. The 2011-2012 California State Budget, in full, is available at: www.ebudget.ca.gov."

Reference -  CA budget newspaper articles 
Sacramento Bee, - Los Angeles Times, - Silicon Valley Mercury News.

Posted by Kathy Meeh