CITYSCAPE

Pride in Public Service
City Council members and employees joined forces in support of the FFA parade. In addition to showcasing our fire engines, backhoe, and bucket truck the City had a covered wagon float. Riding in the parade was a blast! We are looking forward to next year – and will try to remember the candy….
General Services participated in the Healdsburg High School student internship program. This internship was a three month program whereby a student worked at the Corporation Yard to work with staff over a three month period to learn warehouse, storekeeper and purchasing operations. Staff looks forward to the further program participation next semester.
Fire Inspector Ruben Mandujano, along with 15 others performed three shows for 1700 first to third grade students. The topics they covered were “How to call 911, crosswalk safety, exiting a burning home, smoke detectors, helmet use and anti-bullying.” These topics were covered in 30-minute shows. Ruben Mandujano provided the bilingual portion of the show with his Spanish-speaking firefighter puppet Jose who provided the translations.
Update on Center Street Construction
I am sure you have noticed significant construction taking place downtown. We are currently replacing antiquated underground utilities (water, sewer and storm drain utility lines) as part of Phase I of the Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project. The current work on Center Street is expected to be completed by mid-June, when the contractor will shift to North Street. North Street improvements are expected to be completed in late summer. This work is in preparation for Phase 2 improvements which include new pocket parks, additional street trees, wider sidewalks, bulb-outs for pedestrian ramps at street corners to enhance pedestrian safety, rain gardens to improve storm water quality and additional street parking. The start date for Phase 2 is currently unknown due to the elimination of redevelopment as a funding source. Loss of redevelopment funds necessitates strategic thinking with respect to use of our limited resources. Our goal is to complete Phase 1 this summer with the expectation of starting Phase II in the spring of next year. We appreciate your patience during construction.
Parks and Recreation
The Parks and Recreation department is taking a lead role in the formation of “Healthy Healdsburg,”,\ an organization of local agencies and individuals who embrace the Sonoma County Health Initiative. As part of the iGrow and 350 Home & Garden Challenge events, the department hosted a “Plant the Tomato Patch for the Pantry.” Volunteers planted 100 tomato starts as well as a variety of peppers and herbs in the Community Center garden to benefit the Food Pantry. Department staff and programs also participated in the iWalk Challenge which concluded in early May. Department staff logged 37,930 minutes of exercise, the afterschool program logged 12,850 minutes and Senior Center participants logged 50,765 minutes.
Tuesday Concerts
The 2012 Tuesday Concert line-up includes returning local favorites and several new bands offering a wide variety of music from Country to Zydeco to Blues and Rock. We invite you to meet your friends and family at Plaza Park on Tuesday evenings throughout the summer and enjoy an outstanding line-up of performers.
Six local food vendors: Healdsburg Charcuterie, diVine Pizza, Downtown Bakery, Mateo’s Cocina Latina, Mountain Mike’s Pizza and The Wurst will be offering a wide variety of food from 5 – 8 p.m. No need to pack a picnic. The food vendors have something for everyone: pizza, salads, sandwiches, tamales, burgers, fries, sausages and desserts.
Electric Usage
During the month of May, the City of Healdsburg delivered approximately 6,272,110 kilowatt-hours of energy with a coincidental peak of 13.94-megawatts. Energy usage for May 2012 was roughly three percent higher than energy usage in May of 2011. No unplanned outages were reported during the month of May.
Ballot Initiative
It has been reported the City Council has decided to proceed with a one-half cent sales tax initiative. As proposed, the ballot measure will also include a sunset clause of ten years and annual reporting to ensure accountability. More information is forthcoming.
Frequently Asked Question
Many people submit questions via the City’s website. It occurred to me that in addition to responding to emails, I should include the information in City Scape. So, the June FAQ: Can I drink alcoholic beverages in public?
An answer from Police Chief Kevin Burke:
According to our local municipal code, alcoholic beverages cannot be consumed in public places other than on the premises of licensed retail alcohol establishments. Certain exceptions are made by the City Council for special events in the downtown Plaza Park, such as our Tuesday night concert series. However, for those special events, alcoholic beverages can only be consumed inside the park itself.
Marjie Pettus is the Healdsburg City Manager. To submit ideas or questions for this column, email ci*******@ci.us.