City Council Approves Dog Park Project

At their February 22nd meeting, the Cloverdale City Council approved a new dog park Project including funding for design and construction. The proposed dog park is located on a vacant parcel at 501 S. Asti Road located immediately south of the Cloverdale Train Depot. The project as currently planned includes an accessible ADA compliant entrance path, a 5-foot perimeter fence, drinking fountain, shade structure, tree planting, wood chips, and benches.

The property identified for the siting of the dog park is owned by the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART). The Council approved a License Agreement between the City and the SMART for use of the property along the rail corridor. The dog park project represents a partnership between the two agencies. Design work on the project is expected to start in the coming weeks. Check back for updates on the progress of this exciting project!

Dog Park Project Site - 501 Asti Road

(Picture orientation: looking North toward Train Depot)

Storm System with Extreme Cold Temperatures / Snow Expected to Impact Cloverdale

A freeze watch is in effect on Thursday, February 23, from 12:00 AM until 9:00 AM for parts of Sonoma County.

Cold air behind the front will make for frigid temperatures Thursday through Saturday for the entire region. Northerly winds with stronger wind gusts are expected until early Thursday morning. Cold temperatures will lower snow levels to between 1,000 and 1,500 feet.

A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect for higher elevations in the South Bay and Central Coast. Light rain will arrive on Wednesday, but a secondary pulse Thursday will make the rainfall more widespread Thursday night and into much of Friday.

Cloverdale residents are being advised to prepare for the extreme cold temperatures.

Water Supply / Precipitation Update

Water Supply Levels Update: Reservoirs Replenished, Drought is Now Moderate

Recent rains have significantly improved water storage at Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. The U.S. Drought Monitor has officially moved Sonoma County's status from 'severe' to 'moderate' drought.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have increased water storage capacity at Lake Mendocino by managing reservoir levels based on high-resolution weather forecast data. This innovative program is known as Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). According to Sonoma Water, water releases by the USACE from Lake Mendocino are necessary to prevent floods downstream due to incoming storms and to sustain Russian River Watershed wildlife.

Parks Update

Parks Staff continued making progress on critical park maintenance and park development projects. Park projects in progress this week include:

Scouts Hut Repairs
Furber Park Security Lights Installation
Install infield mix at Furber & City Park
Landscaping Maintenace - L&L District Brookside Terrace
Park Capital Improvement Projects

Scouts Hut Repairs

The recent storm events in January, that brought over 12 inches of heavy rain and winds in a short period of time caused a large Oak limb to fall onto the Scouts Hut. The large limb landed on the east side of the building damaging the siding, rafters, plywood, roofing material, gutter downspouts, one window as well as sheetrock. Local contractor Cavallo Construction was awarded the repair contract to make all necessary repairs to the structure so as not to interfere with previously scheduled activity groups that gather in the building.

Furber Park Security Lights Installation

Due to persistent vandalism at the Furber Park Snack Shack, the City has elected to install security blinds and motion detecting security lights. The installation of the blinds and lights was completed this week. There are also plans in the near future to install security cameras in this park as well as others. The Parks Dept welcomes your help with reporting any suspicious activity.

Infield Mix Installed at Furber Park & Second Street City Park

Approximately 30 yds of infield mix were spread at Second Street City Park in preparation for the upcoming spring baseball season. Cloverdale High School Varsity and Junior Varsity baseball and softball teams all utilize this field for practices and games. The goal is to create a safe playing environment for all athletes. 20 yds of the same mix was also spread at Furber Park. The Furber Park being designated for T-Ball and Little League. The new sand is ideal for this type of use.

L&L District Brookside Terrace

Weed abatement was performed as well as leaf collection throughout the entire district. While performing this seasonal maintenance, Parks staff identified a need for tree pruning of several mature trees impeding visibility of traffic. Trees were pruned to ISA standards, with particular attention paid to weak attachments to prevent future failure of limbs and reduce potential hazards for pedestrians.

Park Capital Improvement Projects

Community Development and Parks continues to work on Park Capital Improvement Project. Projects in process include:

New Basketball court construction at the Second Street City Park - Two new basketball courts are under construction at 2nd Street City Park. Preliminary grading of the courts is completed and is undergoing final compaction prior to grading.
Dog park adjacent to the Train Station (planning in process) - the city is currently negotiating a License Agreement with SMART for use of a portion of underutilized right-of-way for a public dog park. Cost estimates for planned and potential amenities are currently being collected to present to CIty Council.

Volunteer in Your Local Parks

Ready to become a VIP, or "Volunteer In Parks" and make a positive difference in your community? Great! Please take a moment to review our Volunteer In Parks flyer below and visit our website: Volunteer Opportunities | Cloverdale, CA - Official Website

Sonoma Water Day - Monday, February 27

On Monday, February 27, the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) Board of Directors will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing aging water, wastewater and flood protection systems in a changing climate.

The Board will receive an overview of key issues regarding Sonoma Water’s drinking water supply and transmission system, regional flood management, eight sanitation districts and zones, and climate adaptation programs and projects.

Topics will include efforts to maintain and modernize systems that are 40 to 70 years old and the ability of existing infrastructure to handle seismic events, more frequent droughts and extreme storms.

This informational board meeting is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A. The meeting will be livestreamed and available via Zoom and there will be an opportunity for public comment.

For details go to https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

E-Waste Collection Event at Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds

Zero Waste Sonoma has partnered with Conservation Corps North Bay to conduct free electronics collection events. Electronic devices contain a variety of materials, including metals that can be recovered for recycling. Recycling your waste electronics saves resources because new metals don't have to be mined.

No appointment necessary for these events. All events held in the parking lot.

Date: February 24-26, 2023
Time: 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Location: Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds

For a full list of accepted and unacceptable items, visit the web page below:

Electronic Waste Disposal | Zero Waste Sonoma

Russian River Watershed Association - Carbon Gardening: A Dirt Simple Solution to Climate Change

A carbon garden is a landscape that draws down and stores more carbon from the air than it releases into the air. Here is a simple explanation: when you build healthy soil, you’re sequestering carbon, but it also involves the materials you bring into your garden from outside and the way you maintain it. For more information, see the links below:

Carbon Gardening: A Dirt Simple Solution to Climate Change – Russian River Watershed Association (rrwatershed.org)

Carbon Cycle 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnThDgy2kWM
What is a Carbon Garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKOMun6uReI
How to Carbon Garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2LuiLgu0-4
Nurture your Soil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHb0WRcbH-E
What to Plant in your Carbon Garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8km5-batqk
Water Properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD0s_2bqTXE
Ditch the Synthetics, Go Natural: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYMT5m4JeMA
Close the Loops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK1vBTKkzwg

Meeting Notices and Schedule:

The City Council has established various subcommittees to help set management objectives for city government, adopt a city budget for fulfilling those management objectives, and ensure accountability to the citizens of Cloverdale.

Subcommittee Meeting Schedules:

Finance, Administration & Police - Next Meeting: March 6, 2023
Planning & Sustainability - Next Meeting: April 18, 2023
Public Works & Facilities - Next Meeting: February 28, 2023
Joint City/Cloverdale Unified School District - Next Meeting: April 17, 2023
Homelessness Community Advisory Group - Next Meeting: June 12, 2023

Council Subcommittee Schedules:

For more information about City Council Subcommittees, visit: https://www.cloverdale.net/242/City-Council-Subcommittees

Regional Board Meetings:

Sonoma Clean Power - March 2, 2023
RCPA/SCTA Board of Directors Meeting - March 13, 2023
Sonoma County Library Commission - March 1 and April 4, 2023
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - April 27, 2023

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