|
Redwood City E-News
Building a Great Community Together
Issue #15 ~ October, 2004
(Back to index of all issues)
IN THIS ISSUE:
**************************
Fall Cleanup of City Parks – October 2
Redwood City ’s annual Fall Cleanup kicks off at 8:30 am on Saturday, October 2, 2004! The public is invited to show their community pride by spending a few hours joining with others to help clean up groups of our City parks. Volunteers should meet at 8:30 am at the City’s Public Works Services building, located at 1400 Broadway (corner of Broadway and Woodside Road). Please call 650-780-7308 for more information.
This year, the fall focus will be on cleaning groups of City parks:
- Hoover/Andrew Spinas/Jardin de Ninos
- Marlin/Dolphin/Sandpiper Parks
- Palm/Linden/Fleishman
- Red Morton/Maddux
- Stafford/Mezes/Dove Beeger
- Stulsaft/Westwood/Garret
At noon, volunteers will meet for a special lunch as a ‘thank you’ for showing their civic pride. Both the continental breakfast and the lunch are being generously donated by the San Mateo Credit Union.
On the same day, Norcal Waste Systems of San Mateo County will sponsor the Great Mulch Giveaway. Mulch is an excellent addition to existing soil, and also makes a great groundcover to help with weed and erosion control. On October 2 and 3, members of the Redwood City community can bring 2 or 3 trash cans, bags, boxes, or other containers to the Public Works Services parking lot and load up with free mulch – a limited supply will be shared among our community’s neighbors on a first-come, first-served basis.
**************************
Fire Prevention Week – October 3 – 9
The week of October 3 through October 9, 2004 is National Fire Prevention Week, and Redwood City is urging the community to take simple fire prevention steps, that could save their lives and those of their loved ones.
The Fire Prevention Week 2004 theme is “Test Your Smoke Alarms,” and it’s the perfect opportunity to ensure that our families and homes are protected and safe.
Smoke alarms are the great safety success story of the 20th century — but only when they're working properly. Approximately 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms - or no working smoke alarms. That’s what makes this year’s theme so important – testing smoke alarms can save lives!
A great deal of information on home fire safety is available from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website, located at www.nfpa.org. Here, you’ll find guidelines for installing and maintaining smoke alarms, basic fire escape planning, tips for people living in apartment buildings, tips for older adults, and more.
Additional information on the use of smoke detectors in the home, and other fire-safety tips, can be found online at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) / U.S. Fire Administration website.
**************************
Community Meeting on General Plan Update – October 5
The fifth public workshop on the City’s General Plan update, scheduled for Tuesday, October 5, 2004 at 7:30 pm, at Redwood High School, Room 2, 1968 Old County Road. It’s an opportunity for the community to be directly involved in defining and creating a plan for the future of Redwood City.
At this meeting, as in the other general plan meetings, we’ll be asking some key questions about the future of the City – What do you like about your City? What needs to be improved? What do you want your neighborhood and your community to look like in 10 years? What kind of community do you want your children to have in the future? How should the City address housing, transportation, development, and other issues?
For this workshop, free child care (ages 3 and up only; call number below for required reservations) and refreshments are provided, and all attendees receive a $10 coupon for use toward any Parks and Recreation Department class or program.
More information is available at www.redwoodcity.org/generalplan, by calling 650-780-7234, or by emailing generalplan@redwoodcity.org.
**************************
The Forum at Redwood City Presents Victor Dover – October 6
The October 6th installment of the Forum at Redwood City features a presentation by Victor Dover, a nationally-recognized town planner and urban designer and a Charter Member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, on: Transforming Failed Shipping Centers Into Successful Neighborhoods.
Mr. Dover is a dynamic and engaging speaker who lectures across the country on livable communities and sustainable development. On October 6th beginning at 6 pm, he will share his ideas for making town centers from old malls. Across the country, an aging generation of shopping malls and strip centers is in steep decline. These obsolete properties (“greyfields”) are often logical choices for infill and mixed-use town centers, a win-win scenario for developers, citizen activists, and the environment. Come learn about Dover Kohl’s cutting-edge work in south Florida and Chattanooga, Tennessee and discuss how these concepts might be applied here.
The Forum takes place at the Little Fox Theater, 2209 Broadway, in downtown Redwood City. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. An optional no-host dinner with the presenter and other participants will be held following the Forum for those wishing to continue the discussion.
**************************
Free Compost for Your Garden – October 9
RethinkWaste is teaming up with its member communities, including Redwood City, to give away compost on Saturday, October 9, 2004. In Redwood City, the free compost will be provided at the Public Works Services parking lot, 1400 Broadway, between the hours of 8 am and 12 noon.
The compost is made from yard trimmings collected at the curb from communities every other week, and composted at a nearby composting facility. Residents in the communities of Redwood City, Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Fair Oaks, Foster City, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and San Mateo may take up to 1 cubic yard of compost (about six full garbage cans) at no charge at selected locations while supplies last. Proof of residency is required.
For more information and a complete list of the locations of all member communities’ free compost giveaways, please visit www.rethinnkwaste.org.
**************************
Redwood City ’s Low-Flow Toilet Giveaway –
October 23 & 30
One thousand FREE ultra low-flow toilets will be given away on October 23rd and 30th to Redwood City water customers in exchange for their old high water-use toilets.
Most residents don’t know that every time they flush the toilet, they may be wasting three to five gallons or more of our precious water. A low-flow toilet is a great way to save water and money with each flush, and Redwood City is making it easy to replace old high water-use toilets through the Low-Flow Toilet Giveaway.
Call 780-7436 for an application. To qualify, you must: replace an older high water-use toilet; pick up and install the new toilet; return your old toilet to the City for recycling.
These toilets are high-quality, innovative two-button dual flush models, giving residents the choice to flush 1.6 gallons for solid waste and a remarkably-low 0.8 gallons for liquid waste. That results in up to 67% additional water savings over other low flow toilets. The free toilets are valued at approximately $400 retail.
The Low Flow Toilet Giveaway is part of the City’s Toilet Replacement Program, which aims to reduce water use throughout the community. The City plans to replace 12,250 older high water-use toilets over the next three-years, which will produce water savings estimated at over 100 million gallons of water per year. Most homes in Redwood City are still using at least one older water-wasting toilet that may be using up to 5 or even 7 gallons per flush.
Comparing that water usage to the latest 1.6-gallons (or less) per-flush models, it’s easy to see that a lot of our precious water is literally going down the drain, and our hard-earned dollars with it. Redwood City’s toilet replacement program targets 7,000 single-family toilets, 5,000 multi-family toilets, and 250 commercial toilets during the next three years, offering customers a low-cost way to replace their old toilets with state-of-the-art, water-saving models.
**************************
City Website Wins National Award
Redwood City ’s website at www.redwoodcity.org underwent a major revision last fall, and has now won the prestigious “Savvy Award” presented by the City/County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA). The City’s website won the top prize in the category, “Best Technology Services – Websites” for jurisdictions with a population of 75,000 – 126,000.
With over 800 local government members, the City-County Communications and Marketing Association is the leading national organization for local governments that are innovating new and better ways of communicating with their communities. Here’s what the 3CMA judges said about Redwood City’s website:
“ Redwood City’s personality shines through with this fun and easy-to-navigate Redwood City, CA website. We loved the rotating combination of photos on the home page, the drop down menus and hot topics feature. This is what a government website should be. In the spirit and words of Astronaut Neil Armstrong: One small step in web design, one giant leap for web kind.”
Redwood City ’s new website was unveiled last fall, after more than a year of work by City staff. The site promotes a consistent image, reflects the City’s core purpose and values, and offers the community an effective means of obtaining information and becoming engaged with the City. With over 77% of Redwood City citizens connected to the Internet, it’s important that the City provides a top-level, up-to-date website, and the accomplishment of this goal recognized by 3CMA.
**************************
City Council Endorses Statewide Proposition 1A
At its meeting of August 23, the City Council of Redwood City adopted a Resolution in support of Proposition 1A , on the November 2, 2004 ballot. If passed by the voters, this proposition would place restrictions on the State legislature’s ability to take local government funding.
At the City's Proposition 1A link, you’ll find the City’s staff report, and links to non-partisan information from the California Secretary of State’s website, and at the League of Women Voters Smartvoter website.
In taking this position in support of Proposition 1A, the City Council noted that since 1991 the State has taken an astonishing total of over $35 million from Redwood City’s local funds. Had there earlier been a preventative measure in place such as Proposition 1A, the most recent State seizures of funds would not have taken place, and the City’s budget deficit would be significantly lower.
This measure, if passed by the voters, will restrict the State Legislature’s ability to take local government funding, including local governments’ share of existing sales taxes, property taxes and Vehicle License Fee (VLF) revenues. It will require the State to provide funding for any program or service the State forces local governments to provide (State-mandated programs). If the State fails to provide that funding, then the legislature must repeal these mandates. The measure allows the State to borrow local government revenues if funds are needed in a fiscal emergency to support schools or other state programs.
If approved, Proposition 1A will constitutionally prevent the State legislature from taking local government funds to pay for State responsibilities. This measure will thereby help protect funding for essential local services like fire and paramedic response, law enforcement, emergency and trauma care, parks, roads, libraries, transportation and more.
The authors of Proposition 1A state that it will not raise tax rates or fees; it will not reduce funding for schools or any other state programs or services; it does not increase funding to local governments; and it leaves the door open to future reforms of the state-local fiscal relationship.
**************************
Information on Measure Q
The City has created a web page that will help voters gain complete information on Measure Q, the Marina Shores Village ballot measure on the November 2 ballot. On the “Marina Shores Village Ballot Measure” link, you’ll find an impartial analysis, overview, arguments for and against the measure, documents and reports, and links to both sides’ websites.
**************************
The “Community Builders” Program is Coming - Save the Dates!
Last year the City, with a generous grant from the Peninsula Community Foundation, produced the acclaimed “Community Builders” program. This is a six-session series available to about 100 participants interested in learning how to better build a great community here in Redwood City. The program features internationally-known speakers, authors, and presenters sharing their insights, knowledge, experience, and advice on the subject of Community Building.
The City will be providing this program once again, beginning in January. If you’re interested in participating, please mark the dates on your calendar now:
- January 11
- January 27
- February 10
- February 24
- March 8
- March 15
All sessions are from 6 until 9 pm, and include dinner.
This will be the last time the City will sponsor Community Builders, and your final opportunity to participate in this remarkable program. Be a part of something that will bring a greater sense of community to Redwood City by joining Community Builders. Keep an eye on this newsletter and the City website for more details.
|
