 |
| | Shortcuts | |
| | |
Focus On Fullerton - July 2008
Archive | Add Nonprofit Calendar Event 
 An old friend comes home!
City crews gently lower a newly refurbished Stedman Clock back into place in the 100 block of S. Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton’s downtown. The 103-year-old clock, a local landmark, sustained major damage during a windstorm last October. For a while, it looked as if the clock could not be repaired and returned to its post downtown. However, the City’s Maintenance Services Department found a company in Los Angeles that was able to restore the clock, and a fter nearly seven months on the repairman’s table, the Stedman Clock made a triumphal return to Fullerton in May.
BIDs: A promising new tool for the Downtown
Business Improvement District concept under studyPrompted by interest expressed from Downtown businesses, Fullerton’s City Council requested staff to present information regarding Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and the BID formation process.  As described to Council, Property-Based Business Improvement Districts (PBID) create a self-imposed, self-governed assessment on property within a defined geographic district. Proceeds from this assessment are used to provide services that specifically benefit properties in the district.
These additional services are intended to improve the overall viability of a business district and allow California business owners to control their own destinies. In California, the “Property and Business District Law of 1994” paved the way for PBID financing. Key provisions of this law include: Funding for a wide range of service options, including security, maintenance, marketing, economic development, special events, etc. Creation of an advisory committee of property and business owners to ensure a district is governed by those who pay. Services are delivered by private non-profit organizations, instead of local government. Requires petition support by more than 50 percent of the private property owners paying the property assessments. Requires a cap on assessments and a maximum 5-year initial district life, and a new petition process to renew.
According to an article by Brad Segal and Kristin Lowell of the California BID Network, many California communities are exploring the formation of PBIDs to more effectively manage and market their downtown businesses. Since 1995, nearly 60 PBIDs have been formed in business districts throughout the state. These communities include: Urban Downtowns — Downtown Sacramento: The first downtown PBID in California, this $1.4 million district provides annual funding for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. Initiatives financed by the PBID include the Downtown Guides, a sidewalk maintenance program that includes district-wide power washing, and an aggressive investor marketing program to attract new businesses to the central business district. Suburban Downtowns – Downtown Chula Vista: Chula Vista is one of the most recent California downtowns to form a PBID and gain approval from its City Council. The new $310,000 PBID will finance economic development, marketing and enhanced maintenance services. Neighborhood Business Districts – Oakland’s Lakeshore Avenue: This three-block commercial district is home to a PBID that supports a previously under-funded business association and capitalizes marketing, security and maintenance initiatives.
Not every community is a prime candidate for a PBID. Before a business district embarks on the process of forming a PBID, generally the following elements must be in place:Private sector leadership: PBIDs are most successful and effective when the process is driven by private sector leaders within a business district who will be paying the assessment. This private sector leadership can either exist through a business organization or a less formal network of key stakeholders. Supportive local government: Support by local government is essential. The cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Sacramento are examples of cities that have established written PBID formation policies and have been very supportive of PBID formation as a citywide policy. Staff and financial resources: Formation of a PBID is labor-intensive and can take from nine to 18 months to complete. Financial resources are needed for consultants, legal counsel and other formation expenses. City staff support is required to compile property and business owner databases, create marketing materials, manage consultants and coordinate volunteers. Public/private partnership. The success of a PBID formation effort depends largely on a private sector support. This effort should aim to include all interests in the business district, and be driven by the private sector with a supportive local government visibly at the table.
The bottom line on PBIDs is that they can effectively complement a business district revitalization program. A PBID provides funds to manage the environment of a business district. Further information may be obtained by calling Nicole Coats, redevelopment project manager, at 738-4102.
Proposed water rate increase
In April you should have received a notice of a public hearing to consider a water rate increase. The increase, as explained in the postcard notice, is due to a water supply cost increase.Water supply cost is the price of water Fullerton pays to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Orange County Water District, power costs and system water loss. This year the majority of the increase is due to the MWD’s 14.3 percent rate boost. Costs for the MWD have gone up due to the rising cost of energy, financing capital improvements, an intensified water conservation campaign, and additional more expensive water purchases due to environmental issues in the Delta. The City proposes an increase of 16 cents per 1,000 gallons due to increasing water supply costs for fiscal 2008-09. For a typical residential customer using 16,000 gallons per month, this would result in an increase of $2.62 per month. The new rate will become effective July 1. For further information, please contact the Water Engineering Office at 738-6382.
Suggested weekly watering schedule
Want to save money on your water bill? One way to do this would be to adjust watering of your landscaping. Did you know that 50-60 percent of all the water used in urban areas is used outdoors? Much of this water is wasted as it sprays on sidewalks and driveways and runs down our streets into storm drains, which lead to the ocean.The following suggested weekly watering schedule will help you to use your water more efficiently: June:Turf grass 3-4 days, 2-3 cycles of 3-5 minutes. Trees, shrubs groundcover; 2 days, 3 cycles of 3 minutes
July:Turf grass 4-5 days, 3 cycles of 3-4 minutes. Trees, shrubs groundcover; 2 days, 3 cycles of 4 minutes
We suggest one hour between cycles and to run cycles before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m. to get the maximum effectiveness. Also, you can conserve water by decreasing the watering times or cycles, and by lightly hand-watering the areas that show stress. For further water conservation information, please contact the Water Engineering Office at 738-6382.
Just in time for summer fun!
Three City parks - Adlena (photo left), Byerrum and Valencia (photo right) - are sporting shiny, new looks thanks to a $3.3 million rehabilitation and upgrade recently completed by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. The work included new playground structures, improved security lighting, new picnic tables and barbecue grills, new landscaping, and, at Adlena and Valencia, new basketball courts and improved restrooms. Funds to finance the long-awaited improvements came, in part, from the 2000 and 2002 park bonds. Photos by Lora Lingl for the City of Fullerton
Low-interest housing rehabilitation loans offered by City
Does your plumbing leak or your house need a fresh coat of paint? How about other basic safety improvements such as a new roof or repairing faulty wiring or heating to curb high energy costs? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” but your checkbook balance says it’s out of the question, don’t give up: The City of Fullerton may be able to lend you a hand. The City, through its Housing and Community Development Office, offers both deferred and below-market interest rate loans to Fullerton homeowners through its Housing Rehabilitation Program. The loans are funded through the federal Housing and Urban Development Department’s Community Development Block Grant Program, and qualifying homeowners must meet the programs’ income criteria and guidelines. “The goal of the programs is to assist low- and moderate-income residents who cannot afford to keep up their homes on their own,” explained Sylvia Chavez, housing programs assistant. “By providing them with a way of taking care of their homes, the City is helping protect their quality of life, as well as their property values.” Below-market rate loans of up to $35,000 are available for qualified applicants. The loans carry a low interest rate of 6 percent or below, and the maximum repayment period is 15 years. Homeowners unable to qualify for the below-market rate loans may qualify for a deferred loan, Chavez continued. Deferred loans require no monthly payments and no interest, and are reviewed every 15 years for eligibility. The loans come due upon the sale or transfer of the home. Senior citizen homeowners (62 years of age or older) who only receive federal or state financial assistance, such as Social Security or disability, are allowed to bypass the bank application and apply directly for a deferred loan. Applications and further information about the loan programs may be obtained by calling Chavez at 738-6874, or by coming to the Housing and Community Rehabilitation Office on the second floor of Fullerton City Hall, 303 W. Commonwealth Ave. Applications and further information are also available under the Community Development Department section of the City website at www.ci.fullerton.ca.us.
An important phone reminder
In August, the way you make phone calls will change. In 2007, the Public Utilities Commission approved an area code overlay for the 714 area code. An overlay means two area codes exist in the same geographic area - in this case, North Orange County. The new area code is 657. Effective Aug. 23, you must dial 11 digits to reach any number within the overlay zone, even if you are dialing from one 714 number to another. For example, if you normally dial 738-6300, you will have to dial 1-714-738-6300 from any 714 or 657 area code number. This applies to cell phones, too. Between now and Aug. 23, you should re-program your phone’s auto-dial or speed dial buttons to dial all 11 digits. The change will not affect the way you call for emergency help - just dial 911 as usual. Questions? Call AT&T at 1-800-331-0500 or log onto www.att.com/california714.
Citizens invited to ‘Walk and Talk’ August 2
Citizens are invited to join Mayor Sharon Quirk on a “Walk and Talk” Aug. 2. The approximately one-hour walk will begin at 8 a.m., and will take in the neighborhoods surrounding Troy High School in east Fullerton. Citizens are advised to meet in the school parking lot, 2200 Dorothy Lane. While walking, citizens will be able to ask questions about city activities and projects, as well as talk about matters of concern to them. Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and to be prepared walk! No appointments are necessary to participate in the “walk and talks,” and citizens are welcome to just drop by the high school and join in. Further information may be obtained by calling the City Council Office at Fullerton City Hall at 738-6311.
 Getting informed about the General Plan update is easy!
There has been much discussion about keeping informed about the ongoing General Plan Update, which began last year and will continue through the fall. Staff has conducted numerous community outreach opportunities and the General Plan Advisory Committee continues to conduct public meetings to provide review and feedback to the City Council as the update is developed. To help citizens keep informed about the progress of the update, the City has created a website dedicated to the General Plan and the update process. Gaining access to this information is easy. The first step is to log onto the City of Fullerton website at www.cityoffullerton.com or www.ci.fullerton.ca.us.This will lead you to the City’s website home page, as seen in the top photo on the left. The home page offers information regarding City activities and events. At the top, you will find an icon for the General Plan Update section. Just click on this icon to access the General Plan Update section page, as shown in photo below left. On this page you will find information about the General Plan and the update process. Find out about current news and announcements or upcoming meetings just by clicking on the word “Calendar.” The City has also included a “Digital Library” containing meeting minutes and agendas, Power Point presentations, and a wide variety of special documents prepared in conjunction with the update. There is also information regarding the Housing Element and the City’s newest addition to the General Plan, the Bicycle Element. Agendas and the GPAC meeting minutes can be viewed by clicking on “General Plan Advisory Committee meetings.” And for citizens who wish to become involved in the update process, just click on the link “Participate!” to find out how they can make their voice heard. For further information about the update process or the General Plan section of the website, please contact Senior Planner Bob St. Paul at 738-6559. For further information about the General Plan Update Process, log onto the General Plan Update section on the City of Fullerton website at www.ci.fullerton.ca.us, or call Bob St. Paul, Fullerton senior planner, at 738-6559.
Circulation Element guides City transportation systems
The Circulation Element is one of seven mandated elements each local government must maintain in its General Plan. The purpose of this element is to put into place goals and guiding policies which will govern the long-term mobility system of the City of Fullerton. The Circulation Element will introduce planning tools essential for achieving our transportation goals and policies. These goals and policies are closely correlated with the Land Use Element and are intended to provide the best possible balance between the City’s future growth and land use development, roadway size, traffic service levels and community character. The Circulation Element should reflect the experiences, ideas, opinions and goals of the people who live, work and travel here in Fullerton. The ability to move people and goods throughout Fullerton and beyond is important to residents and businesses. Local roadways are the most important aspect for mobility in Fullerton, but train and bus transit, bicycle commuter trails, and the recreational trail system provide opportunities for alternative modes of travel that could relieve pressure on roadways. How we travel through our community also has implications on the physical, economic and social environments of Fullerton. The physical environment is affected by how the community looks, feels and functions - from sidewalks and street trees to the design of buildings and the air that we all breathe. Economic activities normally require circulation for materials, products, customers or employees. The basic viability of the community’s economy can be directly affected by circulation. Our social environment includes the community choices, activities and interactions with others that are impacted by circulation systems. In short, the circulation system should be accessible for all segments of the population, including the young, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. For further information about the update process or the General Plan section of the website, please contact Senior Planner Bob recreational trail system provide opportunities for alternative modes St. Paul at 738-6559.
Understanding the General Plan policy framework
It is anticipated that the Housing Element portion of the General Plan will be completed by the end of June. The comprehensive General Plan Update is scheduled to start up again in July. The General Plan Advisory Committee will be very busy reviewing and translating the themes generated from the Community Outreach into Policy Programs. Below are two illustrations indicating the structure of the policy framework and an example of translating those themes into Policy. 
New Downtown video camera system to improve safety
In response to recent concerns about criminal activity in Fullerton’s popular Downtown District, the City has launched a special program designed to increase safety in the area. The City’s Engineering and Police departments and the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency have jointly prepared a project in which nine Public Safety Video Cameras have been installed in the Downtown. The nine cameras operate 24 hours a day, providing real time video feed (without audio) to the Police Department and other emergency responders. When an incident occurs in an area covered by the cameras, Police Dispatchers have the ability to better direct Officers to the location, as well as provide additional information that will be of value to responding personnel. The video is fed to servers at City Hall, where the images are stored for up to 10 days. However, Police personnel can save a particular event on different media for longer periods of time for later use in court in the event a crime has been committed. The cameras are not constantly monitored, but designated personnel in the Police Department have access to monitor activity. The Public Safety Camera system is not intended to be a secret closed system, and business interiors are not accessible to the cameras. Camera locations are identified with appropriate signage as one of the goals of the system is to act as a deterrent to crime. Camera locations include the 100 block of W. Wilshire Avenue, the intersections of Harbor Boulevard and Wilshire and Harbor and Commonwealth Avenue, the north and south parking lots at 100 W. Amerige Avenue, the 100 block of east and west Santa Fe Avenue, the south alley in the 100 block of W. Commonwealth, and the Transportation Center Parking Structure in the 100 block of S. Pomona Avenue. The project was funded by the Redevelopment Agency. Installation of the cameras was completed by the firm Dynalectric of Los Alamitos, at a cost of $502,900. Further information about the Public Safety Video Camera system may be obtained by calling Capt. Geoff Spalding of the Fullerton Police Department at 738-6841.
High-speed rail system proposal would benefit Fullerton
Quick facts
California’s high-speed train system will:
• Cost approximately 1/3 of what freeway and aviation alternatives delivering equal capacity would cost.
• Remove nearly 70 million passenger trips from ourhighways every year and attract millions of airline passengers to reduce airport delays.
• Use 1/3 the energy of air travel and 1/5 the energy of auto travel.
• Eliminate more than 17 billion pounds of the CO2 emissions that cause global warming each year. That’s equivalent to removing more than one million vehicles from our roads.
• Reduce dependence on foreign oil by up to 22 million barrels per year. |
Fullerton has been a Southern California leader in passenger rail improvement efforts. To date, the City, the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency, the Orange County Transportation Authority and Caltrans have together invested millions of dollars in the Fullerton Transportation Center. Fullerton has the busiest rail station along the Los Angeles to San Diego Corridor, and is the third busiest station in the fivecounty Metrolink commuter rail system.
In May, City officials attended a meeting of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors.The Authority is the state entity responsible for planning, constructing and operating a highspeed train system to serve California’s major metropolitan areas. Recent certification of the Statewide Final Program-Level Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement will allow development of an 800-mile high-speed train system serving Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego. High-speed trains will be capable of maximum speeds of 220 miles per hour, with an expected trip time between San Francisco and Los Angeles of two hours and 40 minutes. Projections indicate such a system could carry more than 100 million passengers per year by 2030. At the May meeting, City officials expressed Fullerton’s continuing support of High-Speed Rail, and requested the Board approve an additional station at the Fullerton Transportation Center. City officials further explained Fullerton already provides a station location which accommodates multi-modal regional connections consistent with the Authority’s station location criteria, and added a stop in Fullerton would better serve the North Orange County area.A bond measure on the November ballot would allocate $9 billion for the high-speed train system and $950 million for improvements to other rail services that would feed to the highspeed train service. If approved, the measure would improve the terms of the original highspeed rail bond proposal enacted in 2002, and would establish important additional financial controls. The new controls would ensure bond proceeds are used for planning and eligible capital costs along the system’s entire proposed 800-mile route and not for any one segment. It assures federal funds and other revenues would also be available to the entire system and that 90 percent or more of bond funding would go to construction of the system rather than preconstruction activities. The bond measure would also require the High-Speed Rail Authority to have a detailed funding plan for each segment of the system prior to awarding a construction contract, and includes protections to ensure passenger services other than the high-speed train will not result in increased costs to the Authority. Once the high-speed rail system is completed, the Authority projects improvements to our air quality, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, congestion relief on our highways, and greater mobility for people living in the Central Valley and other areas of our state currently underserved by other forms of long distance public transportation.
 Do your part to prevent water pollution in our creeks, rivers, bays and ocean.
Do not rinse wet spills with water! Use a wet/dry vacuum to vacuum wet spills and dispose of the liquid down a sanitary drain like a sink or toilet. For spills like oil, gasoline, or automotive fluids, apply cat litter or another absorbent material, then sweep up and bring to a household hazardous waste collection center.
Take household hazardous waste to a household hazardous waste collection center. Household hazardous waste includes: Batteries, automotive fluids and products Paint thinners, paint strippers and removers Adhesives Liquid drain openers Chemical oven cleaners Chemical wood and metal cleaners and polishes Herbicides, pesticides, Fungicides/wood preservatives Grease and rust solvents Thermometers and other products containing mercury Fluorescent lamps Cathode ray tubes, e.g. TVs, computer monitors Pool and spa chemicals
Always pick up after your pet. Flush pet wastes down the toilet or dispose of in the trash. Bathe pets indoors or have them professionally groomed. Securely cover trash cans. Clean beaches and healthy creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean are important to Orange County and Fullerton. However, many common household activities can lead to water pollution if you’re not careful. Litter, oil, chemicals and other substances left on your yard or driveway can be blown or washed into storm drains that flow to the ocean. Over-watering your lawn and washing your car can also flush materials into storm drains. Unlike water in sanitary sewers, water in storm drains is not treated. You would never pour soap, fertilizers or oil into the ocean, so don’t let them enter streets, gutters or storm drains. For the nearest Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center: 1-800-CLEANUP or www.1800CLEANUP.ORG For more information on pollution prevention programs, call the City of Fullerton Engineering Department 738-6845.
 Museum Center Calendar
Summer programs at FMC
The Museum Center’s Summer Art Camp “ The Art of Nature” will be held Aug. 11-22. The first week is for young artists entering grades 1 through 3. The second week is for young artists entering grades 4 through 6. In this interdisciplinary art day camp, children will learn about plants, animals and weather while doing nature-inspired art in a variety of media. Live animals will come in to model for us!
Hours: 9 a.m.– noon daily
Cost: $70 museum members/ $85 non membersLook ahead to fall programming
“Guitar Gateways” combines private lessons with group classes in music history and theory along with the many intersections of music, art and poetry. This program for students in grades 6 through 8 includes a guitar to take home during the 12 week course.
Tuesdays, Sept. 16-Dec. 2
3 – 5:15 p.m. (beginning)
4:30 – 6:45 p.m. (intermediate)
$180 for the semester includes a family Museum membership
Guitars are available for a $75 refundable depositHaunted Fullerton Walking Tours
The Haunted Fullerton Walking Tours are lurking right around the corner! Join our FMC ghost guides on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in September and October for a spirited walk through the ghostly downtown. Make your reservations early as spaces fill up fast!
$10 Museum members/$12 non-members
Tours begin at the Fullerton Museum Center at 6 p.m. and last approximately 2 ½ hours.Rubber Sole Family Day
Sneaker art and gallery activities will fill the Museum as we say farewell to the exhibit “Rubber Sole, Canvas Uppers” in this fun family day. Sunday, Oct. 5, noon - 4 p.m., free with Museum admission.Call 738-6545 for more information
View Community Calendar |
|
