MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Karen Pinkos, City Manager DATE: September 19, 2019 SUBJECT: City Manager’s Update At this week’s City Council meeting we heard a wonderful presentation from our EC STARS, the students in our annual summer internship program for students from El Cerrito High School in partnership with the West Contra Costa Unified School District. This is our seventh year working with ECHS on this program and, once again, we had a fantastic group of interns. I’ve noticed over the years that one of the best outcomes of this program is that not only do the students benefit, but so does our City team, from the quality of work we receive and allowing staff to have the experience of working with, and teaching, new talent. It is always a joy for me to work with students. I’m particularly proud of our intern in the City Manager’s office, Michelle Li, who wrote an article about her and her colleagues’ experience in the current edition of the City’s News and Views Newsletter. Congratulations to this year’s EC STARS…I can’t wait to see what you will do next! I want to thank the Kensington Fire Protection District Board for their partnership as they and the City Council recently signed an extension of our agreement to provide Fire services to the Kensington community. Our agreement is a model for success, and benefits all residents, businesses, and visitors of El Cerrito and Kensington. To celebrate, everyone is invited to attend the Kensington Fire Protection District’s annual Fire Prevention Week Open House on Saturday, October 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Kensington Fire Station, 217 Arlington Avenue. This year, the Board Members of the District and the Council will honor the partnership between Kensington and El Cerrito with a celebratory cake cutting at 11 a.m. The Open House will be fun for all ages, with lots of safety information on hand, 24-hour emergency kits, fire hats for the kids, and of course…firefighters! I looked forward to seeing the community at the Open House! Karen Pinkos City Manager City of El Cerrito TABLE OF CONTENTS • CITY MANAGEMENT • PUBLIC WORKS • EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES • RECREATION • COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT • UPCOMING EVENTS • FIRE • PERSONNEL UPDATES • POLICE • ATTACHMENTS/FLYERS CITY MANAGEMENT Measure H - Improve and Maintain El Cerrito Parks and Recreation Facilities Measure H (the renewal of Measure A) will be on the special November 2019 ballot to continue a dedicated funding source—at the current rates with no increases—to improve and maintain our parks and recreation facilities and programming space. Measure A was originally passed in 2000 and rebuilt and renovated the El Cerrito Swim Center; rehabilitated Canyon Trail Clubhouse; improved access and renovated the restrooms at Harding, Huber, and Poinsett Park clubhouses; and funded capital improvements at the Swim Center over the years, including the installation of the Splash Park, new heaters, landscape improvements, and energy efficiency upgrades. We are happy that we were able to accomplish these projects with this dedicated funding. Now, there are new goals, projects, and ongoing needs to meet community expectations for the City’s park and recreational facilities, which are essential to providing high quality services. Measure H, if passed by voters, would extend Measure A at the current rates, which is $58.46 per year for single-family homes (other rates for other property types), so the City could continue to fund maintenance and improvements at our parks and recreation facilities as detailed in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which are essential to providing high quality services. These funds would be restricted only for the maintenance and enhancement of El Cerrito’s parks and recreation facilities, as described in the Master Plan. More information on the ballot measure can be found at el-cerrito.org/2019Measure and anyone with questions can contact City Clerk Holly Charléty at [email protected] cerrito.ca.us. Several Opportunities to Volunteer for your Community The City has several vacancies on Boards and Commissions, including two vacancies on the Human Relations Commission, one vacancy on the Design Review Board, and one vacancy on the Arts and Culture Commission. Boards and Commissions are directly responsible to the City Council and fill advisory and/or quasi-judicial roles. Commissions are composed of citizens, while members of boards are selected for their special expertise. For more information on these and other current vacancies, please visit www.el-cerrito.org/commissions. Applications can be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]. For more information, please contact the City Clerk at 510- 215-4305. CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE (CONT’D) New City Hall Gallery Space Exhibit The Arts & Culture Commission is pleased to announce the new exhibit in the City Hall Gallery Space is “Apron Stories” by former El Cerrito Creative ReUse artist in residence Sandy Drobny. Next time you are at City Hall, come upstairs and check it out! The show features aprons woven with repurposed plastic shopping bags and created by the artist. The exhibit is open until September 27, 2019. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES The City is pleased to offer the following employment opportunities: Childcare Aide (Temporary/Seasonal) Childcare Teacher (Part-Time Summer and School Year) Police Cadet (Part-Time) Police Officer - Lateral and Academy Graduate Police Officer – Reserve Van Driver (Part-Time) Water Fitness Instructor (Aquatics Specialist II) Apply today at www.el-cerrito.org/jobs COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Community Development Department welcomes two new staff members. Toni Casados is our new Administrative Clerk Specialist. She supports a variety of programs, with a focus on the rent registry, business licenses and residential parking permits. Toni brings over 10 years of customer service experience to the City. Yvette Madrid-Martinez is serving as our new Permit Technician. Yvette supports the Building Division by assisting customers though all stages of the building permit process. Yvette brings a rich background with experience in customer service and the construction industry. Both Toni and Yvette share a passion for customer service and a desire to serve the residents and businesses of El Cerrito. FIRE Tri-City Safety Day The El Cerrito Fire Department will be hosting the annual Tri-City Safety Day on September 21 from 11 a m. to 3 p.m. at the El Cerrito Plaza in front of Lucky’s. Everyone is invited to see a display of emergency vehicles and equipment from El Cerrito, Richmond, Albany and Kensington as well as talk with the police officers and firefighters. September 19, 2019 Page 3 of 12 Back to the Top CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE (CONT’D) Many other agencies will have tables with information. Children can also experience the Fire Safety Trailer (repeats every 30 minutes) to learn fire safety tips in the house. Plus, watch a demonstration of the "Jaws of Life." State Fire Season Activity The 2019 fire season is in full swing with numerous fires burning across the state. Most of the fires in Northern California have been caused by dry lightning storms. Earlier this month, Battalion Chief Jose Castrejon was deployed with a strike team of five engines from Contra Costa County to the Red Bank Fire near Red Bluff. The fire is now 95% contained with about 8,900 acres consumed. Fortunately, only 2 structures were destroyed. Captain Chris Renshaw was also deployed as a fire line medic with numerous crews and is responsible for treating injuries and arranging for their extrication to the hospital. Battalion Chief Kevin Janes was deployed to Walker Fire in Plumas County near the Nevada border. This fire, while currently at almost 50,000 acres, is not threatening any structures at this point. Both the Red Bank Fire and the Walker Fire fires are in very steep and isolated areas. Since the fire season started, there have been a total of 180 fires statewide. Over 10 acres have burned for a total loss of 134,000 acres and 37 structures damaged or destroyed. None of these fires have resulted in a loss of life. Vegetation Management & Abatement The Fire Prevention Division continues to inspect properties in the City for compliance with the City’s Vegetation Management Ordinance. This year has been extremely critical with the number of citations at slightly less than 1,000 parcels and over 200 failed re- inspections. Due to the number of citations, we pushed the Cost Hearing back to the October 15 meeting. Inspections and abatement will continue through the next month and a presentation will be made at the October 15 meeting. Welcome to the Fire Department Joel Ferreira-Clifton started as a probationary firefighter on Sunday, September 15. Joel has worked for the Mill Valley Fire Department and Marin County Fire Departments. He has an extensive fire background, as well as spending his time working on restoring cars. Joel will be a great asset to the Fire Department. September 19, 2019 Page 4 of 12 Back to the Top CITY MANAGER’S UPDATE (CONT’D) POLICE Get Ready! Be Ready! Wildfire Evacuation Guide The El Cerrito & Kensington wildfire preparedness and evacuation guide has been sent to every home and business in El Cerrito and Kensington. The booklet is designed to help you protect your family, home, and neighborhoods as we approach wildfire season. Please review the information in the packet and commit to improving your ability to withstand a wildfire or other emergency. Register with the Contra Costa County Community Warning System Please take a moment to register your cell phone with the Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS).