OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER November 22, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council AT FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information City offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 23rd and 24th, in observance of Thanksgiving. Curbside trash service will be delayed one day. Notable Items Please join us for the City’s first Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to be held at the Centennial Plaza on Saturday, November 25th starting at 5:30 pm. This joint event with the Downtown Business Association (DBA) and the Bakersfield Condors joins an exciting roster of activities including the DBA’s Small Business Saturday and the Condor’s Teddy Bear Toss. Mayor Goh and City Councilmembers Jacqui Sullivan and Andrae Gonzales will greet the crowds and flip the switch. To alleviate potential issues in our sewers after the holiday, the City of Bakersfield is opening up the 2017 Holiday Grease Collection event starting Monday November 27th and ending Friday, January 5th. Location and drop-off times are detailed on the accompanying press release. Bakersfield has the eighth lowest rate of housing vacancy among the nation’s largest cities, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. The analysis, released earlier this month, shows there are 121,920 housing units in the city of Bakersfield, and 4,136 of them are vacant, resulting in a vacancy rate of 3.4%. The Census Bureau defines a housing unit as any house, duplex, General Information November 22, 2017 Page 2 condominium, apartment or trailer. Among all U.S. cities with populations of at least 250,000, Bakersfield ranks number eight out of 83. When looking at California’s 15 cities of that same size, Bakersfield ranks fifth. Only Santa Ana, San Jose, Anaheim, and Long Beach have lower housing vacancy rates among large California cities. These findings are based on the one-year version of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey, which was released earlier this fall and analyzed by the publication Buffalo Business First. Business First adjusted the number of vacant units in each city by subtracting empty units that are used as seasonal homes, as well as those that had been sold or rented at the time the survey was done. A listing of California’s largest cities is shown below. All figures are limited to cities themselves and do not include suburbs or other portions of their metropolitan areas. Housing Vacancy Rates in Major California Cities National City Housing Rank Vacancy Rate 1 Santa Ana 1.6% 2 San Jose 2.4% 3 Anaheim 2.7% 5 Long Beach 3.1% 8 Bakersfield 3.4% 10 Riverside 3.7% 16 Oakland 4.2% 19 Irvine 4.4% 20 Stockton 4.5% 22 Los Angeles 4.6% 24 San Francisco 4.7% 25 Fresno 4.8% 26 San Diego 4.9% 28 Sacramento 5.3% 30 Chula Vista 5.8% Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2016 Analysis: Buffalo Business First Table: Visit Bakersfield General Information November 22, 2017 Page 3 The California Public Utilities Commission will be hosting a community meeting in Fresno on December 4th for public input on the PG&E transportation electrification proposal. Commissioner Carla J. Peterman will attend and facilitate the discussion. At this meeting, CPUC staff will briefly outline PG&E’s proposal, and then ask community members about their concerns and expectations. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to have a say about the transportation electrification needs of their community. The City’s annual Food Donation Drive wrapped up this past Monday. Collectively, the city donated 5,705 lbs of canned and non-perishable food items to the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK)! Departments compete each year to for the “Giving Trophy”, awarded to the department with the most donations. Special thanks go to the Employee Incentive Team and our City employees for their coordinated effort and generous spirit. CAPK brought a box truck this year in anticipation of the large amount of donated goods. Police department staff with just a portion of their donation General Information November 22, 2017 Page 4 Traffic Advisories Nighttime closure for Westside Parkway-Truxtun Avenue Off-ramp The contractor for the Kern River Bridge Improvements project plans to close the eastbound Westside Parkway off-ramp to Truxtun Avenue on Monday night, November 27, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Eastbound traffic will need to exit at Mohawk Street while this work is underway. The ramp closure is needed to allow for the installation of temporary concrete barrier rail and roadway striping on eastbound Truxtun Avenue near the ramp. This work will provide additional space and separate the work area from traffic while construction of a bridge abutment is underway. Three lanes will remain available to traffic traveling in the eastbound direction on Truxtun Avenue following Monday night’s work. The abutment is expected to take about four months to complete. Planned nighttime lane and ramp closures for State Routes 58 and 99 The following nighttime lane and ramp closures are planned for State Routes 58 and 99 between Monday, November 27 and Thursday, November 30. These closures are expected to be in place between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. • The eastbound Chester Avenue/H Street off-ramp will need to be closed while workers construct wall forms alongside the roadway. • Eastbound State Route 58 Union Avenue off-ramp, as well as the two outside eastbound freeway lanes in this area, will need to be closed during planned concrete paving operations. • The westbound State Route 58 Union Avenue on- and off-ramps, as well as the two outside westbound freeway lanes in this area, will need to be closed while workers perform electrical work. • The northbound State Route 99 Ming Avenue off-ramp and the two outside northbound freeway lanes in this area will also need to be closed for concrete paving. Please stay alert and watch for construction workers and equipment while driving through the construction zone. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience this work may cause the traveling public. For project information, please visit our website at www.BakersfieldFreeways.us. General Information November 22, 2017 Page 5 Reports Streets Division work schedule for the week of November 27th Event Notifications Event calendar for the Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center Public Works Department Nick Fidler – Public Works Director PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Luda Fishman Monday November 20, 2017 Business Manager (661) 326-3114 During Thanksgiving week, residents and businesses in Bakersfield should note the holiday trash collection schedule. There will be no trash pick up on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, 2017. All Thursday trash, recycling, and green-waste services will be made the next day, Friday November 24. Friday collections will be made on Saturday November 25. The Mt Vernon Green Waste Facility will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 23, reopening again Friday, November 24 at 7am. The City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Division wishes residents a very happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday! For more information, please contact Luda Fishman, Business Manager, Solid Waste Division, at (661) 326-3114. # # # City of Bakersfield • Public Works Department • 1501 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, California • 93301 (661) 326-3724 • Fax (661) 852-2120 DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION & PARKS DIANNE HOOVER, DIRECTOR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Terry McCormick November 20, 2017 661.326.3866 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Plaza The City of Bakersfield invites the media and public to attend the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Centennial Plaza on Saturday November 25, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Karen Goh, along with Councilmembers Andrae Gonzales and Jacque Sullivan will participate in the ceremonial lighting. Also, join in the activities with the Condors’ Teddy Bear Toss pre-game Party in the Plaza from 5 – 7 p.m. Enjoy $2 Hot Dogs along with music, fun, games, and drinks. When: Saturday November 25, 2017 Time: 5:00 p.m. Party in the Plaza 5:30 p.m. Arrival of Mr. & Mrs. Claus Lighting Ceremony Location: Centennial Plaza @ Rabobank Arena 1001 Truxtun Avenue # # # City of Bakersfield · Department of Recreation & Parks · 1600 Truxtun Avenue, 3 rd Floor Bakersfield · California · 93301 (661) 326-3866 · Fax (661) 852-2140 Public Works Department Nick Fidler – Public Works Director PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Evette Roldan Tuesday, November 21, 2017 Engineer II (661) 326-3249 City of Bakersfield would like to invite residents to take advantage of the 2017 Holiday Grease Collection event. Disposing of used cooking oil and grease down their drain can clog pipes and cause backups, instead residents can stop by the City’s Holiday Grease Collection and dispose of used oil and grease in a safe and environmentally friendly way. Residents are asked to collect their used cooking oil and grease in sealed containers and drop it off at the event. There is no charge to dispose of the oil and grease. The 2017 Holiday Grease Collection event kicks off Monday, November 27th and ends Friday, January 5th. Cooking oil and grease drop-off location: City of Bakersfield Wastewater Treatment Plant 3 6901 McCutchen Road. Day and time for grease drop off: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m. Closed: Christmas Day, Monday, December 25, 2017 New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1, 2018 For more information, please contact the Wastewater Division, at (661) 326-3249. City of Bakersfield • Public Works Department • 1501 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, California • 93301 (661) 326-3724 • Fax (661) 852-2120 Electric Transportation: What does your community need? The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is seeking input from your community! California has set aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.