City Council Meeting - December 14

The Cloverdale City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting: 

Wednesday, December 14 at 6:00 pm

The Council meeting will be held at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. A zoom link is available on the agenda for virtual attendance and participation.

Major items on the City Council agenda include: 

-Alexander Valley Water District Proposal

-Service Recognitions - Vice Mayor Wolter, Councilmember Cruz and Councilmember Palla

-Resolution of the City Council of the City of Cloverdale Authorizing Remote Teleconference Meetings of the City in Compliance with Assembly Bill 361

-Annual AB 1600 Report of Development Impact Fee Activity for Fiscal Year
2021-2022.

-Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Cloverdale and Cloverdale Unified School District for a School Resource Officer

-Award of Bid for a Chipper and Dump Truck

-Resolution of the Cloverdale Community Development Successor Agency, Adopting
the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule

-Resolution Approving the City of Cloverdale’s Records Retention Schedule

-Adoption of the 2022 California Building Standards Codes and the 2022 Fire Code

-At-Will Employment Agreement with Derrick Montanye for the position of Public Works Director

-Adopting the Official Canvass of the Votes Cast at the General Municipal Election Held on November 8, 2022

-Council Reorganization & Selection of Mayor / Vice Mayor

-Review and discussion of Updated City Council 2023 Subcommittee, Joint Committee and Regional Board/Committee Appointments

To participate in the meeting or comment on an item virtually via Zoom, copy and paste the following link in your web browser:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88648416804?wd=QjFHTkt1TGIwMVN4V1lQR0FLRmw1UT09
Meeting ID: 886 4841 6804
Passcode: 551890
Dial 1-(669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID.

Planning Commission Meeting - December 13 

The Planning Commission is scheduled to meet Tuesday, December 13th @ 6:30 pm at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center.  The Planning Commission will consider an application for Design Review and Use Permit to allow the establishment of a restaurant with amplified music at 101 North Cloverdale Blvd (the former Shell Station) in downtown Cloverdale.  

The applicants are requesting the ability to offer amplified performances on the outdoor stage. The intent is to feature a wide range of performers while also providing a place for local musicians. The stage would be open on open mic nights and Sunday brunch would be paired with live jazz music. 101 North would be a versatile property capable of hosting private events, community events and live entertainment including speakers, comedians and live music.

For more information about the project, click the agenda here. 

Wind Advisory Issued for Sonoma County

A strong weather front is moving through Sonoma County late Friday into Saturday, bringing with it locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Please see the tips below on how to prepare now for the storm event.

National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory and Gale Warnings for Saturday, 12/10. Weekend rain system not expected to stall over Sonoma County, though localized flooding still possible. City crews are preparing storm drains in anticipation of the rain event and will be on-call during the weekend.

Here is what to expect:

-Potential for frost an areas of freezing temperatures Thursday morning in interior valleys.

-Next rain chances Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. Light to moderate rainfall.

-A stronger front moves through late Friday and into Saturday. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall possible with gusty winds.

-Drier conditions early next week with cold morning temperatures returning.

-Chance for localized flooding in Sonoma County.

Preparedness Tips from the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service recommends the following actions in preparation for high winds:

-Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.

-Secure loose gutters and shutters.

-Identify an interior room of your house, such as a basement or interior bathroom, that you can take shelter in during high wind warnings.

-If you live in a mobile home, identify a sturdy building you can go to if NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm warning.

-Charge batteries of all essential items such as cell phones and booster packs, weather radios and power tools such as a reciprocating saw, which you might need to clear debris.

-Update your emergency kit and be sure to include enough food and water to last for 3 days for each person in your home.

-Make a list of items outside your home you will need to tie down or put away so that they don't blow away or fly through a window. When NWS issues a high wind or severe thunderstorm watch, immediately secure these items to avoid damage or injury once the wind starts picking up

Election Update 

Deva Maria Proto, Sonoma County Registrar of Voters certified the elections results for the November 8, 2022 elections. The elections results are found at the following link: Election Night Reporting (clarityelections.com)

Newly Elected Councilmembers including Gus Wolter, Brian Wheeler, and Marjorie Morgenstern will take the oath of office at the December 14th Council meeting.  Measure K (Fireworks Ban) failed to garner majority support with 1,850 voters voting no and 1650 voters voting yes (see official results in graphic below). The Cloverdale City Council will consider a resolution to certify the elections results for the City of Cloverdale at the December 14th City Council meeting.

City Upgrades Shahan Lift Station

Wastewater lift stations are pumping stations that transfer wastewater from a lower level to a higher level. The City operates and maintains a wastewater (sewer) lift station located on Shahan Drive. The lift station pumps the wastewater through a pressurized pipe known as a force main and transports the wastewater to the ultimate discharge point located in a higher location underground in N. Cloverdale Blvd. 

A wastewater lift station requires these to store wastewater temporarily:

-Wet well

-Two or more submersible pumps

-Piping

-Pump float controls

-Valve vault

-Radio communication equipment

-Control panel

-Backup generator

Lift stations are vital parts of an efficient system for collecting sewage. Along with the installation of 2 new submersible pumps at the Shahan lift station, the original wiring to the control panel was also replaced. The pumps work in a rough environment 24 hrs. day/365 year! The pumps replaced were approximately 9 years old. The upgrade of the lift station was necessary to ensure the continued operation of the sewage collections system.  The cost of the project was $18,461.91 and was paid for with rate revenue

Parks Update

Parks staff continue to maintain all parks, trails and open spaces, complete critical seasonal projects, as well as respond to Arborist and service requests from the community.

New parks rules signs were installed in several local parks such as Furber Park, 2^nd Street City Park and Vintage Meadows Park. The new signs are intended to advertise the parks rules as well as encourage our community to do their part to keep our parks clean by picking up after an event and placing garbage in the designated receptacles.

Tree pruning along our Downtown corridor continues to make progress. The main focus this week was to prune several Sycamore trees from First Street to Third Street. Special thanks to all of the shop owners who were very patient with the parks crew while the work was being performed.

Tree pruning continued at the local Cloverdale Library. This event includes pruning the largest Valley Oak within any of our parks and possibly the entire city. Local contractor, Economy Tree Service, was hired to perform the pruning. They utilized his 80ft bucket boom to complete the project safely. The cabling system on the tree was reinforced by adding a 4^th cable to a large nearby tree scaffold. Tree cabling is a process of attaching support cables to older trees in order to prevent large limbs from failing, as well as prolong the life of the tree. It can prevent potential damage to nearby targets.

Leaf collection continues throughout city Parks and L&L Districts. Several truckloads were accumulated from Second Street City Park, Furber, Clark and Chablis Park. This effort will continue for the next few weeks.

The Parks Picnic table rehabilitation project continues this week. These types of projects are set aside for rainy days, in between maintenance and service requests.

Water Supply Update - Drought is Still Here. Save Water!

The drought is still here. Water supply levels at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma remain at historic lows. Water is a resource that our community shares, and it is critical that we all continue to protect and conserve this valuable resource. The City of Cloverdale and its partners in the Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership (SMSWP) urge our community to keep up the great work and effort – water saved now, is water we can use later. For water saving tips and programs you can take advantage of to conserve water and save money, visit SavingWaterPartnership.org.

-Sonoma County continues to experience drought conditions Sonoma County is designated as being in Severe Drought by the U.S Drought Monitor.  Read about drought condition in Sonoma County.

-Visit the California Water Watch website and enter your address to see how much rainfall your local area has received to date. 

-View Current Water Supply Levels for Lake Pillsbury, Lake Mendocino, and Lake Sonoma Here

-Conservation requirements are still in place in the City of Cloverdale. Residents are encouraged to continue using water wisely and eliminate water wasting activities. Learn more water saving tips at savingwaterpartnership.org

-The statewide Save Our Water conservation campaign at SaveOurWater.com also provides simple ways to reduce water use in their everyday lives.

-The water reservoir storage level in Lake Mendocino is currently 63.7% of the Target Water Supply Curve (see graphic below). 

New Report Shows Continued Water Conservation Is Key to Enabling Suppliers to Meet Demand

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) submitted a first report to the State Water Resources Control Board summarizing how urban water districts assess the adequacy of their supplies over the next seven months.  Broadly, the assessments show the importance of conservation by individual Californians to help suppliers meet demands through June 30, 2023

According to a new report from the California Department of Water Resources, Annual Water Shortage Assessments submitted by urban water suppliers indicate that the suppliers "will rely on either continued conservation or more aggressive actions to meet demand through June 30, 2023, if dry conditions persist. They report that they can ensure adequate water supplies through water-saving strategies, such as requiring customers to limit outdoor water and providing leak detection and repair services."

Upper Russian River Watershed Updates - Cutailment Status

Governor Newsom declared a drought emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties largely due to abnormally dry conditions in the Russian River watershed. As a a result of the Drought, the State Water Board issued curtailment orders requiring water diverters including the City of Cloverdale to curtail (reduce) water usage.This curtailment order was authorized by the emergency regulation adopted by the State Water Board on May 10, 2022, and approved by the Office of Administrative Law on June 1, 2022.

Due to the recent additional precipitation in the region, the Division of Water Rights has posted an updated Curtailment Status List on the Russian River Drought Response webpage that takes effect on December 3, 2022.

This update is anticipated to be in effect through December 31, 2022. Curtailments are lifted for all appropriative water rights in the watershed. Riparian claimants diverting under a Statement of Diversion and Use are not subject to correlative reductions. Right holders must continue to monitor the Curtailment Status List for the latest curtailment statuses.

Division of Water Rights staff continue to actively monitor forecasted precipitation within the watershed for the rest of December and will post a revised Curtailment Status List should supply conditions change.

If you would like to receive future emails related to this and similar efforts, please subscribe to the State Water Board’s “Russian River Drought” email subscription list under “Water Rights” at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.html

If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Water Rights at [email protected] or (916) 341-5318.

Russian River Interactive Curtailment Map

Funding for Climate Change
Community Kick-Off Meeting

The Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) Board is seeking your ideas and expertise on how best we can address climate change locally and equitably. RCPA will look at three major categories based on the Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy and create three Program Committees:

-Transportation Committee

-Building Committee

-Land & Water Committee   

The purpose of each Program Committee is to provide a forum for climate experts and interested community members to discuss and evaluate potential climate solutions. From there we will create a list of programs and projects for consideration by the RCPA Board and explore how best to fund future action.

Please join the conversation!
Hybrid Meeting: December 14^th 5:30 – 7pm In person:  
Sonoma Clean Power Advanced Energy Center - 741 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Virtual:  Register in advance:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_35Bhm-nWTjeAOtcpIOf-Ag

Learn more about the Program Committees on December 14^th or let RCPA know if you are interested in serving on a committee by filling out the online form below.

(Form Link) - https://forms.gle/R64DykptiUBkGhXT8

RCPA looks forward to working with you to develop equitable solutions to help make Sonoma County resilient in the face of local climate impacts!

Meeting Notices and Schedule:

Subcommittee Meeting Schedules:

Finance, Administration & Police - Next Meeting: Janauary 2, 2023 (cancelled)
Planning & Sustainability - Next Meeting: December 20, 2022
Public Works & Facilities - Next Meeting: January 16, 2023 (subject to change)
Joint City/Cloverdale Unified School District - Next Meeting:  TBD
Homelessness Community Advisory Group - Next Meeting: January 10, 2023

Regional Board Meetings:

Sonoma Clean Power - January 5, 2023
RCPA/SCTA Board of Directors Meeting - December 12, 2022
Sonoma County Library Commission - January 4, 2023
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - February 8, 2023

Newsletter Updates - Help Get the Word Out!

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Special Events:

The Cloverdale Lions Club 25th Toy Run is scheduled for Sunday, December 11, 2022. It starts at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair with registration between 9 and 11 a.m. The Pack Ride is between 11:30-12:30 with Santa at the head.