OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER January 6, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council AT FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information *** Statement from Mayor Karen Goh Regarding Councilmember Jeff Tkac *** The City of Bakersfield mourns the loss of a community leader and friend. We are heartbroken by the passing of Councilmember Jeff Tkac. Jeff leaves behind a wife and three beautiful children. Jeff accomplished many things for our city as a business owner, Planning Commissioner, and volunteer police officer. All who knew Jeff knew of his passion for our city and the well-being of its people. He will truly be missed. Our prayers are with his wife Heather and sons Justin, Hudson, and Parker. May God comfort them through this incredibly difficult time. *** Statement from Alan Tandy Regarding Councilmember Jeff Tkac *** It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the unfortunate and untimely passing of City Councilmember Jeff Tkac, who was found deceased in his home Thursday morning, January 5, 2017. Councilmember Tkac was a devoted family man, local business owner, and long-time City official. Councilmember Tkac served as a Bakersfield City Councilmember for only a short time; however, during his brief tenure, he showed intellect and knowledge of the City and its operations. Mr. Tkac began his service to the City nearly three decades ago as a Reserve Bakersfield Police Officer and is one of the longest-serving members of the City Planning Commission. During his 29 years as a Reserve Officer and 20 year tenure as a Commissioner, Mr. Tkac was a true champion for Bakersfield. As a graduate of Cal State Bakersfield and a successful local business owner, Mr. Tkac established a reputation as one that always did his homework and provided thoughtful consideration of every task before him. General Information January 6, 2017 Page 2 He was upbeat, positive, and forward thinking. He made positive and lasting impressions on other elected officials and City staff and immediately bonded with those around him. Councilmember Tkac has been a staple in this community for many years. Our thoughts and prayers are with Councilmember Tkac’s family as they mourn his passing. It is important that we remember the contributions he made to the City of Bakersfield. *** Statement from Vice Mayor Bob Smith on Behalf of the City Council Regarding Councilmember Jeff Tkac *** My fellow Councilmembers and I join the Mayor and City Manager in mourning the loss of our Council colleague Jeff Tkac. Jeff was a wonderful friend to many and an impactful leader, whose service to our community included 29 years as a Bakersfield Reserve Police Officer and 20 years as a Planning Commissioner. We extend our sincerest condolences to the Tkac family, especially his wife Heather and his three sons. May God bless them and our entire community. Notable Items On Tuesday, Karen Goh was sworn in as the 26th Mayor of Bakersfield. We look forward working with Mayor Goh and embracing her vision and leadership. In addition, that evening ended the mayoral tenure for Harvey Hall after 16 years of service. Thank you for your guidance and generosity over the years. The Special Bakersfield City Council meeting scheduled at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10th, has been cancelled. The meeting will be re-scheduled to a later date. General Information January 6, 2017 Page 3 Attached you will find the monthly Thomas Roads Improvement Program (TRIP) Status Report for the month of January. The report gives a summary of each TRIP project in construction, in design, and under review. Completion percentages and pictures of projects are also included. Thank you to the Edmonton Oilers and AEG (Los Angeles Kings) for hosting the celebrity hockey event and Winterfest at Bakersfield College. An ice rink was staged in the middle of Memorial Stadium, and they opened it up for nearly three weeks of public skating and youth and adult hockey, culminating in a pair of big outdoor hockey games, one of them featuring Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky. Also, the Bakersfield Condors will play an official American Hockey League game against the Ontario Reign there on January 7th. We hope the weather cooperates with such impressive events. As you may have noticed, water is flowing down the Kern River due to precipitation and melting snow both above and below Isabella Dam. The inflow into Isabella peaked yesterday at just over 10,000 cubic feet per second as opposed to 300 cubic feet per second just a few days earlier. Also, below Isabella Dam near Hart Park, the flow yesterday peaked at 4,500 cubic feet per second. These flows were from tributaries draining into the river. In addition, the City is recharging water in the ground and storing in Lake Isabella for City demands. Attached you will find a memorandum detailing the previous storm events and water supply in the Isabella Dam. We would like to remind citizens the Public Works Department’s webpage (http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/gov/depts/public_works/default.htm) on the City’s website gives residents information about preparing for the potential rain and storm events that have been forecasted for our area. The webpage provides checklists for preparing property for and driving in wet weather, as well as City contact information for specific issues that may arise during a storm, such as blocked storm drains, downed trees or branches, street light and traffic signal outages, as well at contact information for PG&E and The Gas Company. Traffic Advisories Median Work on State Route 178 – Valley Street to Alfred Harrell Highway On January 9th the contractor for the State Route 178 Widening Project plans to begin working on the new highway median island between Valley Street and Alfred Harrell Highway. The new median will result in permanent changes to access along State Route 178 between Valley Street and Alfred Harrell General Information January 6, 2017 Page 4 Highway. Construction of the additional lanes for the new highway requires installation of the median in this area to meet Caltrans standards. This median will eliminate left turns to and from adjacent side streets. Left turns in both directions will temporarily be allowed at Valley Street while additional project work is underway. U-turns are not allowed at Valley Street, but a temporary detour route will provide access for westbound motorists wanting to travel eastbound or access streets on the south side of the highway (please see attached detour map). Eastbound motorists can make U-turns at Alfred Harrell Highway. In the final condition, left turns at Valley Street will only be allowed from eastbound State Route 178 to northbound Valley Street. Motorists will be able to make U-turns at both the Masterson Street and Alfred Harrell Highway intersections to access side streets in this area, and both of these intersections can accommodate U-turn movements for recreational vehicle towing a trailer. Flagging personnel will need to stop traffic intermittently in this area while the median is constructed. Motorists should anticipating having to stop for construction work between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Vehicles will not be stopped for more than 10 minutes, but motorists are encouraged to select an alternate route or allow extra time to reach their destinations while this work is underway. Reports Streets Division work schedule for the week of January 9th Event Notifications Event calendar for the Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center On January 21st (beginning 11:00 a.m.) a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for the re-opening of McMurtrey Aquatic Center. In addition, the public can participate in the Polar Bear Plunge and be among the first to try the new slides! There is a charge of $5.00/person; $20.00 for a warm sweatshirt. Hot chocolate is available for free. Please see the attached flyer for additional information. AT:cg cc: Department Heads Pam McCarthy, Interim City Clerk January 2017 TRIP Status Report TRIP projects are moving rapidly through the various stages of project development. This report is to provide a periodic up-to-date snapshot of each project’s recent major activities and progress. If you have questions, or need additional information, please contact Janet Wheeler at the TRIP office, (661) 326-3491. Regular project updates are also available on the TRIP website at BakersfieldFreeways.us MILESTONES The Kern River Bridge Improvements phase for the Centennial Corridor project has been advertised for construction. This phase of the project includes the construction of two new bridges, widening two existing bridges, and making various improvements to the existing Westside Parkway. The engineers estimate for this phase of the project is $40.3 million and bids are due February 16, 2017. The contractor will start construction this month of a raised median island that will result in permanent changes to access along State Route 178 between Valley Street and Alfred Harrell Highway. Construction of the additional lanes for the new highway requires installation of a raised median in this area to meet Caltrans standards. This will eliminate left turns to and from side streets in this area. Left turns in both directions will temporarily be allowed at Valley Street while additional project work is underway. U- turns are not allowed at Valley Street, but a temporary detour route will provide access for westbound motorists wanting to travel eastbound or access streets on the south side of the highway. Eastbound motorists can make U-turns at Alfred Harrell Highway. In the final condition, left turns at Valley Street will only be allowed from eastbound State Route 178 to northbound Valley Street. Motorists will be able to make U-turns at both the Masterson Street and Alfred Harrell Highway intersections to access side streets in this area, and both of these intersections can accommodate U-turn movements for a recreational vehicle towing a trailer.