Central City Neighborhood Council Meeting
Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, 6 p.m. at City Hall
Hosted by Councilmember Steve Hansen
In attendance: Councilmember Hansen; Consuelo Hernandez; Pete Fenolio; Sac PD Captain Justin Eklund; City of Sacramento Parking Manager Matt Eierman; City of Sacramento General Operations Supervisor Matt Winkler; City of Sacramento Homeless Services Coordinator Emily Halcon; Sean Wright (Alkali And Mansion Flats Historic Neighborhood Association); Elaine Hebert (Southside Park Neighborhood Association); George Raya (Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association); Pamela Rasada (Richmond Grove Neighborhood Association); Angela Tillotson (Midtown Neighborhood Association).
Absent: Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association; Washington Park Improvement Group; Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association
Good News Updates from Steve
City received $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant for streetlights between 16th and 21st streets and F and I streets. City is also working to systematically get more streetlights installed.
The City is working on residual items from McKinley Village, such as the Alhambra Tunnel—money will only be spent on bike and ped facilities (about $700,000).
Grid 3.0 was approved by City Council. Voters did not approve Measure B, so projects will take longer to be built.
Regional bike sharing is moving forward, and Steve hopes it will be up and running by May is Bike Month. The two major communities of West Sacramento and Davis will be included.
The City received Cap and Trade money needed for the Downtown street car. Now the city needs to enter into an agreement with the federal government. Part of the funding will come from taxes, but that will only apply to commercial properties.
Jose DeGregorio was commissioned to do an art piece at Washington Elementary, and the work is in progress.
Sacramento Police Department
Cpt. Justin Eklund asked that we help spread the word about vehicle thefts and burglaries. Surprisingly, many people will start their cars in the morning to warm up, and then run back into the house. This should never be done and it creates an opportunity for thieves to easily steal your car. Also remember to lock, take, hide. Lock your car. Take your personal belongings and valuables or hide them. Also do not put them in your trunk when you arrive at your destination. People may see you do that. If you are going to put them in your trunk, do so before you arrive at your destination.
He also asked that we help people understand that if it takes officers longer to respond to calls, it is not because they are working at the Arena. Officers are paid through the City’s General Fund and cannot be taken from their beat work to work Arena events. When it takes officers longer to respond, it is because they are on other calls. The officers at Arena events are off duty and paid by the Kings.
Officers are focusing on safety at Marshall, Grant, Winn and Neely Johnson parks. These parks have had an increase in late hour loitering and safety concerns.
Sac PD will have shift changes in early 2017, so you may see a lot of new faces.
Porch thefts will likely increase with holiday shopping. This is especially inviting to thieves in the Central City where many porches and doors are close to the sidewalks. If you are expecting valuables, have them delivered somewhere else, if you can. Amazon also has lockers at the Safeway at 19th and S streets and at the Safeway on Alhambra.
If you have photos or videos of package thefts, file a police report and send the pictures or video to Sac PD. You can file reports on line and contact Sac PD nonemergency (916) 264-5471 and let them know that you have pictures or videos. They will make arrangements to get the images from you. Sometimes officers can identify a thief from a picture. Sometimes the pictures are shared with the media. Porch theft is something that resonates with everyone, and the media often shares it.
If you are buying from Craigslist, make the exchange at a police or fire station to be safe.
Planning and Development Updates
Steve said that as far as he knows, the Pappas (the developer for 201th and L) still plans to move forward with the project. They are still looking for another anchor tenant since Whole Foods backed out.
19J was approved by the planning commission and if no appeals are filed against it, it will move forward.
Vacant historic schools Jefferson (16th and N and Old Marshall 28th and G): the school district is working on a property swap with a team that has a property on which the district is interested building a new central kitchen. If it goes through, the development team wants to build housing on the sides of the historic Jefferson building and rehab the historic building. It would be a mixed-use site.
A committee that included neighborhood residents reviewed proposals for the Old Marshall School site. A senior housing project by Bardis homes and Mogavero architect was selected.
CADA is in the process of getting a development at the corner of 14th and N. At this time, there is a surface lot.
The Kings made the highest offer at the 8th Street property. They’ve talked about preserving the Bellvue apartments and rehabbing them for workforce housing.
Many groundbreakings have happened or will happen soon:
The Clarion is up for sale again. It was previously slated to be and artists colony, but now that it’s for sale again, that may change.
The blighted block of S Street (between 15th and 16th) had been approved for a project that did not move forward. It has continued to fall into decay, and a few months ago, squatters started a fire. Steve brought out several high-level City staff for a sight visit. This included the Police Chief, City Manager, City Attorney, Fire Chief, and Code Enforcement. They are working to make the property owners more accountable and if needed, they will pursue a Justice for Neighbors case. If you know of concerns with these properties, send your concerns to Steve Hansen at [email protected]. To reduce or eliminate future cases like this, the city is beginning to require that all development financing and building permits are in place before de-tenanting or demolishing a building.
Steve has asked the City Manager to ask planning staff to place a moratorium on lot splits for lots that are larger than usual and have contributing or historic components, such as the berm and wall at the corner of 21st and U Street.
Homelessness Update
Nov. 21 was the first night of Winter Sanctuary, which has a capacity of about 100 people per night, depending on the location. The primary pick-up location is Loaves and Fishes, and folks need to be there by 3 p.m. The City hopes to have funding to continue Winter Sanctuary through March. This program is a collaboration between Sacramento Steps Forward, various faith-based organizations, and the City of Sacramento.
Sacramento County held two workshops in October. The County has shown interest in a triage center like San Francisco’s Navigation Center. The County holds all contracts for family shelters and the City funds all single shelters. The Proposition 163, “No Place Like Home,” funding will come through the county. Mayor-Elect Steinberg has pushed for more collaboration between the city and county. The City just adopted their 2017 meeting calendar, and it includes three joint meetings with the County Board of Supervisors. The first meeting is scheduled for January 31, 2017. You can report homelessness through 3-1-1. The City is trying to get SHRA to reprioritize their housing voucher system (formerly known as Section 8), which gives current recipients priority for the vouchers, the City is trying to get SHRA to make unhoused people/homeless people a priority.
Federal law requires regular (every two years?) “point-in-time” counts of the homeless. The City will conduct their point-in-time count in late January and will be looking for volunteers. They anticipate a larger count than previous counts. With county rangers increasing enforcement along the Sacramento River, many people have been pushed to more visible places. This could help get a more accurate count and can help with federal funding. You can learn more and sign up for the city’s homeless newsletter at: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/homeless.
Parking
Matt Eierman and Matt Winkler noted that parking with the new Arena is going more smoothly than they could have imagined. The Arena manager said that the Golden 1 Arena opening was smoother than any he’s ever seen. All the work that went into the planning stage has moved to use stage. They’ve upgraded technologies with Smart Meters and Pay-by-Phone, allowing people to more easily enter parking structures and to make parking reservations. They’ve had about 115,000 transactions, and about 30,000 cars are being directed to parking. More people are using parking garages for events, leaving street spaces open for businesses. They are seeing cars parking in a wider-spread area, which is leaving capacity for other things.
They are going to change the parking website and have a better app that is more user friendly. This will really dial into street parking, and they now have sensors that will detect when a space becomes open and direct people to open spaces. They are turning on the feature that can identify license plates Thanksgiving week. Steve wants to do a follow-up parking survey in the spring to see how to make the system and parking program better.
Residents can get up to 10 24-hour guest passes per month. Passes can be printed, but the City has also created a system that allows you to enter your guests’ license plate numbers electronically. You need to enter them at least 24 hours in advance to ensure that they are entered into the system. Once the plate number is entered in the system, parking enforcement will be able to pull up the plate and your visitor will not be cited. If it is less than 24 hours, it’s better to print the pass.
Events
Dec. 10, from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. will be Steve’s swearing-in ceremony for his second term. The event will be at the Verge Center for the Arts at 625 S Street. The event is free and open to the public.
Dec. 13, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. will be Mayor-elect Steinberg’s swearing-in party at the California Railroad Museum. You can RSPV at: http://allaboutsac.com/swearingin.php.
Parks
Measure U will be an item on the Council agenda in December. Steve requested more money for deferred maintenance for parks, including many improvements, including removing the bathrooms at Fremont Park and building a tot lot fence at Marshall Park. They are also looking at reuses for the old emergency communications building at Winn Park.
End of meeting
Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, 6 p.m. at City Hall
Hosted by Councilmember Steve Hansen
In attendance: Councilmember Hansen; Consuelo Hernandez; Pete Fenolio; Sac PD Captain Justin Eklund; City of Sacramento Parking Manager Matt Eierman; City of Sacramento General Operations Supervisor Matt Winkler; City of Sacramento Homeless Services Coordinator Emily Halcon; Sean Wright (Alkali And Mansion Flats Historic Neighborhood Association); Elaine Hebert (Southside Park Neighborhood Association); George Raya (Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association); Pamela Rasada (Richmond Grove Neighborhood Association); Angela Tillotson (Midtown Neighborhood Association).
Absent: Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association; Washington Park Improvement Group; Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association
Good News Updates from Steve
City received $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant for streetlights between 16th and 21st streets and F and I streets. City is also working to systematically get more streetlights installed.
The City is working on residual items from McKinley Village, such as the Alhambra Tunnel—money will only be spent on bike and ped facilities (about $700,000).
Grid 3.0 was approved by City Council. Voters did not approve Measure B, so projects will take longer to be built.
Regional bike sharing is moving forward, and Steve hopes it will be up and running by May is Bike Month. The two major communities of West Sacramento and Davis will be included.
The City received Cap and Trade money needed for the Downtown street car. Now the city needs to enter into an agreement with the federal government. Part of the funding will come from taxes, but that will only apply to commercial properties.
Jose DeGregorio was commissioned to do an art piece at Washington Elementary, and the work is in progress.
Sacramento Police Department
Cpt. Justin Eklund asked that we help spread the word about vehicle thefts and burglaries. Surprisingly, many people will start their cars in the morning to warm up, and then run back into the house. This should never be done and it creates an opportunity for thieves to easily steal your car. Also remember to lock, take, hide. Lock your car. Take your personal belongings and valuables or hide them. Also do not put them in your trunk when you arrive at your destination. People may see you do that. If you are going to put them in your trunk, do so before you arrive at your destination.
He also asked that we help people understand that if it takes officers longer to respond to calls, it is not because they are working at the Arena. Officers are paid through the City’s General Fund and cannot be taken from their beat work to work Arena events. When it takes officers longer to respond, it is because they are on other calls. The officers at Arena events are off duty and paid by the Kings.
Officers are focusing on safety at Marshall, Grant, Winn and Neely Johnson parks. These parks have had an increase in late hour loitering and safety concerns.
Sac PD will have shift changes in early 2017, so you may see a lot of new faces.
Porch thefts will likely increase with holiday shopping. This is especially inviting to thieves in the Central City where many porches and doors are close to the sidewalks. If you are expecting valuables, have them delivered somewhere else, if you can. Amazon also has lockers at the Safeway at 19th and S streets and at the Safeway on Alhambra.
If you have photos or videos of package thefts, file a police report and send the pictures or video to Sac PD. You can file reports on line and contact Sac PD nonemergency (916) 264-5471 and let them know that you have pictures or videos. They will make arrangements to get the images from you. Sometimes officers can identify a thief from a picture. Sometimes the pictures are shared with the media. Porch theft is something that resonates with everyone, and the media often shares it.
If you are buying from Craigslist, make the exchange at a police or fire station to be safe.
Planning and Development Updates
Steve said that as far as he knows, the Pappas (the developer for 201th and L) still plans to move forward with the project. They are still looking for another anchor tenant since Whole Foods backed out.
19J was approved by the planning commission and if no appeals are filed against it, it will move forward.
Vacant historic schools Jefferson (16th and N and Old Marshall 28th and G): the school district is working on a property swap with a team that has a property on which the district is interested building a new central kitchen. If it goes through, the development team wants to build housing on the sides of the historic Jefferson building and rehab the historic building. It would be a mixed-use site.
A committee that included neighborhood residents reviewed proposals for the Old Marshall School site. A senior housing project by Bardis homes and Mogavero architect was selected.
CADA is in the process of getting a development at the corner of 14th and N. At this time, there is a surface lot.
The Kings made the highest offer at the 8th Street property. They’ve talked about preserving the Bellvue apartments and rehabbing them for workforce housing.
Many groundbreakings have happened or will happen soon:
- Truitt dog park at 19th and Q (ground breaking Nov. 30)
- 19th and Q apartments
- 17th and Q apartments (same developer as the Creamery project) should be breaking ground soon.
- 20th Street townhomes
- Mansion Flat Modern (16th and D)
- Lavender Courtyard (16th and F)
The Clarion is up for sale again. It was previously slated to be and artists colony, but now that it’s for sale again, that may change.
The blighted block of S Street (between 15th and 16th) had been approved for a project that did not move forward. It has continued to fall into decay, and a few months ago, squatters started a fire. Steve brought out several high-level City staff for a sight visit. This included the Police Chief, City Manager, City Attorney, Fire Chief, and Code Enforcement. They are working to make the property owners more accountable and if needed, they will pursue a Justice for Neighbors case. If you know of concerns with these properties, send your concerns to Steve Hansen at [email protected]. To reduce or eliminate future cases like this, the city is beginning to require that all development financing and building permits are in place before de-tenanting or demolishing a building.
Steve has asked the City Manager to ask planning staff to place a moratorium on lot splits for lots that are larger than usual and have contributing or historic components, such as the berm and wall at the corner of 21st and U Street.
Homelessness Update
Nov. 21 was the first night of Winter Sanctuary, which has a capacity of about 100 people per night, depending on the location. The primary pick-up location is Loaves and Fishes, and folks need to be there by 3 p.m. The City hopes to have funding to continue Winter Sanctuary through March. This program is a collaboration between Sacramento Steps Forward, various faith-based organizations, and the City of Sacramento.
Sacramento County held two workshops in October. The County has shown interest in a triage center like San Francisco’s Navigation Center. The County holds all contracts for family shelters and the City funds all single shelters. The Proposition 163, “No Place Like Home,” funding will come through the county. Mayor-Elect Steinberg has pushed for more collaboration between the city and county. The City just adopted their 2017 meeting calendar, and it includes three joint meetings with the County Board of Supervisors. The first meeting is scheduled for January 31, 2017. You can report homelessness through 3-1-1. The City is trying to get SHRA to reprioritize their housing voucher system (formerly known as Section 8), which gives current recipients priority for the vouchers, the City is trying to get SHRA to make unhoused people/homeless people a priority.
Federal law requires regular (every two years?) “point-in-time” counts of the homeless. The City will conduct their point-in-time count in late January and will be looking for volunteers. They anticipate a larger count than previous counts. With county rangers increasing enforcement along the Sacramento River, many people have been pushed to more visible places. This could help get a more accurate count and can help with federal funding. You can learn more and sign up for the city’s homeless newsletter at: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/homeless.
Parking
Matt Eierman and Matt Winkler noted that parking with the new Arena is going more smoothly than they could have imagined. The Arena manager said that the Golden 1 Arena opening was smoother than any he’s ever seen. All the work that went into the planning stage has moved to use stage. They’ve upgraded technologies with Smart Meters and Pay-by-Phone, allowing people to more easily enter parking structures and to make parking reservations. They’ve had about 115,000 transactions, and about 30,000 cars are being directed to parking. More people are using parking garages for events, leaving street spaces open for businesses. They are seeing cars parking in a wider-spread area, which is leaving capacity for other things.
They are going to change the parking website and have a better app that is more user friendly. This will really dial into street parking, and they now have sensors that will detect when a space becomes open and direct people to open spaces. They are turning on the feature that can identify license plates Thanksgiving week. Steve wants to do a follow-up parking survey in the spring to see how to make the system and parking program better.
Residents can get up to 10 24-hour guest passes per month. Passes can be printed, but the City has also created a system that allows you to enter your guests’ license plate numbers electronically. You need to enter them at least 24 hours in advance to ensure that they are entered into the system. Once the plate number is entered in the system, parking enforcement will be able to pull up the plate and your visitor will not be cited. If it is less than 24 hours, it’s better to print the pass.
Events
Dec. 10, from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. will be Steve’s swearing-in ceremony for his second term. The event will be at the Verge Center for the Arts at 625 S Street. The event is free and open to the public.
Dec. 13, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. will be Mayor-elect Steinberg’s swearing-in party at the California Railroad Museum. You can RSPV at: http://allaboutsac.com/swearingin.php.
Parks
Measure U will be an item on the Council agenda in December. Steve requested more money for deferred maintenance for parks, including many improvements, including removing the bathrooms at Fremont Park and building a tot lot fence at Marshall Park. They are also looking at reuses for the old emergency communications building at Winn Park.
End of meeting
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