OFFICE of the CITY MANAGER October 12
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OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER October 12, 2018 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager A T SUBJECT: General Information This past week our community said farewell to a fierce and dedicated public servant. Pat DeMond served as the Ward 2 Councilmember and Vice Mayor from 1987 to 2000. Among her notable contributions to our City and downtown revitalization include approval of the Chester Avenue streetscape, the Centennial Garden (now Rabobank) arena, the Holiday Inn Select (now Marriot) hotel, and the Amtrak station. In addition to her forward-thinking voting record, Councilmember DeMond was instrumental in the formation of the Old Town Kern-Pioneer Redevelopment area and played a key role in the merging of the State's two enterprise zone programs into one unified program before it was disbanded; a feat that had failed several times before. Outside of public office, Councilmember DeMond dedicated her talents to local organizations and charitable events. Our deepest condolences go to her husband and family. Pat’s determined spirit and service to the City of Bakersfield is remembered kindly by all who knew her. Notable Items Our office was notified this morning that the Downtown Business Association has taken a phone poll of its members and has agreed to support Measure N. The current Measure N endorsements include the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, Kern County Taxpayers Association, Bakersfield Association of Realtor, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, North of the River Chamber of Commerce, and the Kern County Homebuilders Association. General Information October 12, 2018 Page 2 City staff and Bakersfield Marathon organizers continue to meet to coordinate plans for the upcoming event. The 2018 Bakersfield Marathon is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 18th. The route will be similar to last year, with up to 2,500 runners starting at 7 a.m. at Cal State Bakersfield, running through the City to Bakersfield College and returning to Cal State on the Kern River Parkway. As done in previous years, the organizers will send notices directly to affected residences and businesses prior to the race date. Roads will reopen as runners complete each section of the route. We will pass along more specific street closure information via Gen Info and social media in the coming weeks. Thanks to City staff for their work on coordinating this event! The first floor of the parking garage will look a bit different after this weekend. In response to input received from the community meeting on the Downtown Bakersfield Parking Study, one row, or 7 stalls, on the first floor of the parking garage and 1 stall on the second floor turn will be removed. The removal of these stalls will open a wider lane for traffic and make it easier and safer to enter and exit the parking garage. The first floor stalls on the south side of the lane and the first floor handicap stalls will not be affected. The first floor stalls are currently roped off in anticipation of the work to be completed tomorrow, Saturday, the 13th. The work will be completed within 1 day. Please see the attached press release regarding the beginning of the annual leaf collection program, starting Monday, October 15th through approximately the first week of February 2019. On Wednesday, October 31st, 2018, the Bakersfield Police Department will be hosting our first “Trick or Treat Meet and Greet”. The event will take place at police headquarters at 1601 Truxtun Avenue from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. The event is free to attend. Children under the age of 12, in costumes, will be escorted around the police building for trick or treating from various police personnel, as well as visit police vehicles in the parking lot. Groups will be escorted every 10-15 minutes through the building. Parents and caregivers are welcome to come; however, for safety purposes, only children may wear costumes at this event. Children must also be 12 years of age or General Information October 12, 2018 Page 3 younger to participate. Parking is available in the City of Bakersfield’s parking garage at 18th Street and Eye Street. Parking is free for 2 hours. Registration is not required for the event. For questions, please contact the BPD Community Relations Unit at (661) 326-3053, or by email at [email protected]. Traffic Advisory Saturday Closure for Westbound Truxtun Avenue Nighttime Lane Closures Tuesday through Thursday Westbound Truxtun Avenue will be closed tomorrow, October 13, in the area between the Westside Parkway on-ramp and off-ramp. The contractor for the Kern River Bridge Improvements Project will be placing concrete for the new bridge abutment. The concrete pour is expected to be underway between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 p.m. The inside eastbound lane will also be closed in the area, but two eastbound lanes are expected to remain open. The freeway on- and off-ramps will also remain open. Westbound Truxtun Avenue motorists can detour around Saturday’s closures by traveling south on Oak Street to California Avenue; west to Mohawk Street; then north to Truxtun Avenue. Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic. Motorists can also use Rosedale Highway. These same closures are also scheduled to be in effect Tuesday, October 16 through Thursday, October 18, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night. The nighttime closures are needed to remove the forms from the abutment. All lanes are expected to open in time for the morning commute. Upcoming Closures Wible Road, Belle Terrace Bridge and Northbound SR 99 Wible Road Off-ramp Construction crews will demolish the Wible Road median and resurface the underlying roadway, between State Route 58 and Belle Terrace, Wednesday, October 17 through Friday, October 26. This work will require closures of the inside traffic lanes, leaving only one lane open to traffic in each direction. The signal at the Belle Terrace and Wible Road intersection will be set to flashing red during this work. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes or allow sufficient time to reach their destinations if they must travel in the vicinity of Belle Terrace and Wible Road. Following the median work, traffic will be shifted to the west side of Wible Road, with only one lane available to traffic in each direction. This traffic shift is expected to occur on Friday, October 26. The date of the Belle Terrace Bridge closure has been changed to October 26 to coincide with the traffic shift. The project will demolish the existing bridge and replace it General Information October 12, 2018 Page 4 with a bridge that meets current Caltrans standards. Ming Avenue or Stockdale Highway can be used to cross the freeway until the bridge re-opens in spring 2020. The State Route 99 Wible Road off-ramp is expected to close in mid-November. The closure of this off-ramp will be permanent. Following this off-ramp closure, northbound motorists will need to exit the freeway at the Ming Avenue or California Avenue interchanges. Nighttime Lane and Ramp Closures on State Route 58 and State Route 99 Work continues on the Beltway Operational Improvements project, requiring lane and ramp closures within the project areas on State Route 58 and State Route 99. Closures may be in place as needed Sunday through Thursday nights, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Motorists driving through this area should stay alert to potential closures in the following locations: • Eastbound H Street off-ramp • Eastbound State Route 58/Chester Avenue on-ramp • Westbound State Route 58/Chester Avenue off-ramp • Eastbound State Route 58/Union Avenue on-ramp • Eastbound State Route 58/Cottonwood Road off-ramp • Northbound and southbound State Route 99-to-eastbound State Route 58 connector ramps • Northbound State Route 99/Ming Avenue on-ramp • Two outside lanes on northbound and southbound State Route 99, between Ming Avenue and Wilson Road All lanes and ramps will not be closed simultaneously. Motorists should follow signed detour routes during ramp closures. Reports Recreation and Parks Monthly Report – September 2018 Streets Division work schedule for the week of October 15th Event Notifications Event calendar for the Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center th The 4 Annual Carts and Kids Show will take place: st o Sunday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. th o Location: 301 E. 4 St o See the attached flyer for entry fee information. Public Works Department Nick Fidler – Public Works Director PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Connor Friday, October 12, 2018 Street Superintendent (661) 326-3111 City of Bakersfield’s Annual Leaf Collection The City of Bakersfield Streets Division will be performing the annual leaf program for the collection of leaves from City streets beginning October 15, 2018 thru approximately the first week in February, 2019. The hours of operation will be 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and may be extended if needed. During this period it will be permissible for City Residents to rake leaves into the street adjacent to the curb and gutter. To allow for proper drainage, we ask that the leaves are placed a minimum of 24 inches (2 feet) from the curb face. Since the leaves are collected by specialized equipment designed for this purpose only, the public is reminded that no other debris other than leaves will be collected from the streets. For further information call (661) 326-3111 during the hours of 7:00 AM till 4:00 PM # # # City of Bakersfield • Public Works Department • 1501 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, California • 93301(661) 326-3724 • Fax (661) 852-2120 B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: October 10, 2018 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Dianne Hoover, Director of Recreation & Parks Subject: 2018 September Monthly Report ADMINISTRATION Wall Repairs: In Progress: 1.