CityScape

From the City Manager
The Healdsburg Electric Department has selected Todd Woolman to
fill the vacant Electric Superintendent position. Todd is a long
time employee and a valued member of the staff. Along with Todd’s
many friends and family in Healdsburg we extend our congratulations
and look forward to his future successes.
City Hall Bulletin Boards
Communication remains a priority for the City Council and
employees. As part of our outreach efforts we have installed new
bulletin boards at City Hall for the public to view. One of the
boards is focused on city operations and features employee
recognitions, introduction of new employees and the
projects/activities of the highlighted department. The second board
is a ‘community news’ board. This board consists of postings we
believe will be of interest to the public such as: capital
improvement projects, street closures, site plans and supplemental
information for agenda items. In addition, this board will be
available for non-profit advertisements.
2011-12 Budget
The budget process is underway, kicked off on April 25th with a
workshop review of core services. Department heads and staff worked
together to categorize city services as “core” (essential or
mandated), “important” or “value added.” This classification of
services will assist in establishing funding priorities as we
continue to wrestle with a deficit in the general fund. The
exercise also revealed opportunities for potential restructuring
and consolidation. Worksheets depicting each category of service
will be posted on the City’s website once they have been
finalized.
Grants, Grants, Grants
The Fire and Police departments recently joined together and
applied for a grant to mitigate casino impacts on Healdsburg. A
total of $27,230 was requested to fund improvements to the city
emergency operations plan. The funding will allow for advanced
staff training and technology based hardware in the Emergency
Operations Center.
The Police department is requesting federal funding for an
additional police officer through the COPS program. While there is
$200 million in grant funding available for sworn officer
positions, the application process is highly competitive. Staff
will continue to identify and apply for grants and other funds to
augment operational budgets.
Giorgi Park – Phase 2
Phase 2 of the approved Giorgi Park Master Plan is scheduled to
begin in June. The project includes a new pathway (and associated
lighting and landscaping) connecting Giorgi Park with Piper St.,
tennis court renovation, parking lot and hardscape improvements
adjacent to the grandstands, and a new restroom building to serve
Recreation Park. All of the Phase 2 improvements are expected to be
completed by October 2011. Funding, in part, will come from grants
received from the Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space
District and the Community Development Block Grant program.
Badger Wells
You may have noticed recent water discharge and activity at the
Badger Well Field. In anticipation of summer demand, the wells are
being flushed. The City’s operating permit from the State requires
flushing prior to putting the water into the distribution system.
This ensures that primary and secondary water quality standards are
met.
Summer Recreation
It’s not too early to register for summer activities! A wide
variety of camps will be offered at the Healdsburg Community Center
for youths from toddlers to tweens; including a new Jr. Lifeguard
Camp on the river at Memorial Beach in cooperation with Sonoma
County Parks Dept. The Swim Center will also be offering their
comprehensive swim lesson program and a new summer swim team for
swimmers of all abilities.
Healdsburg Municipal Code
The Healdsburg Municipal Code (HMC) codification process has
been completed and the new format protocol is now effective. Some
of the format protocol changes include renaming the Zoning
Ordinance to the Land Use Code and the HMC is now broken down in
Titles, Chapters, and Sections. Additionally, the HMC is now
available on the City’s website (www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us) under
Your Government in a searchable format.
Marjie Pettus is the Healdsburg City Manager. To submit ideas or
questions for this column, email

ci*******@ci.us











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