City Council Meeting - March 8

The Cloverdale City Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting:

Wednesday, March 8 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:

Proclamation - American Red Cross Month
Resolution accepting installation of the Public Restroom Facility at City Plaza by Rege Construction
Budget Amendment for Green Valley Engineering Inc. for Engineering Services Associated with Public Works Inspections
Housing Successor Agency Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2021-22
Purchase Agreement with Matt Mazzei Chevrolet for the purchase of two 2023 Dodge Charger (LDDE48) Base Model police vehicles and necessary equipment
Authorization to File a Financial Assistance Application with the State Water Resources Board for the Cloverdale Recycled Water Feasibility Report and Planning Project
Authorization to Apply for the WATERSMART: Water Recycling and Desalination Planning Grant for the Cloverdale Recycled Water Feasibility Report and Planning Project
Resolution opposing Initiative No. 21-0042A1, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act

City Council welcomes public interest, attendance, and participation at meetings. Attendees may join open session both in-person at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 N. Cloverdale Blvd, virtually at www.zoom.us/join, or by telephone: 1.669.900.6833, both using Meeting ID: 823 1668 4527; or directly online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82316684527

Regular City Council meetings are also streamed on YouTube via live webcast at cloverdale.net/youtube.

Planning Commission - March 7

On Tuesday, March 7th the Planning Commission will hold their regularly scheduled meeting.

The Commission will cover the following topics:

Please click here for the agenda:

https://www.cloverdale.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03072023-1188

City of Cloverdale Housing Element Update

The City of Cloverdale is in the process of updating the Housing Element of the City’s General Plan to ensure that we’re prepared to meet Cloverdale’s housing needs over the next eight years. Under State law, every City and County in California is required to update its Housing Element to address specific requirements and submit the element to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The Housing Element serves as Cloverdale’s blueprint for meeting the housing needs of our current and future residents and workforce, including people living at all economic levels and those with unique housing needs.

The Revised Draft Housing Element Update is now available for 7-day public review.

Comments may be submitted to CloverdaleHousingElement@4leafinc.com or mailed/delivered to Cloverdale City Hall (124 N. Cloverdale Blvd). After seven days, comments will continue to be accepted and may also be submitted to the State at housingelements@hcd.ca.gov.

The Revised Draft Element and Technical Documents can be found at the following links:

Revised Draft Housing Element (LINK)
Revised Draft Technical Background Report (LINK)

Participation from the community is vital to ensure that Cloverdale’s values are identified and articulated in the Housing Element, and that the City’s approach provides the best fit for the community’s goals and priorities. Public comment received on the Revised Draft Housing Element will be incorporated into the Final Adopted Housing Element submitted to the state for review and anticipated for adoption in April 2023.

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.

Lake Mendocino & FIRO Featured in the Press:

How Weather Forecasts Can Help Dams Supply More Water - Yale E360

Parks Update

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

Porterfield Creek Open Space Preserve Storm Event Clean-up
Parks and L&L Storm Event Clean-up
Graffiti Removal at Second Street City Park
Cemetery Storm Event Clean-up
Park Capital Improvement Projects

Porterfield Creek Open Space Preserve Storm Event Clean-up

The recent extreme weather conditions brought much excitement to our parks and open spaces. Unfortunately, the recent snow event generated significant amount of damage to trees and personal property across town. At the Porterfield Creek Open Space, countless trees were affected throughout the 200 forested acres. At least 30-40 trees fell directly across footpaths, impeding safe traffic on all marked trails within the preserve. Numerous work hours were spent by Parks staff this week to expedite the reopening of all trails.

Special recognition is given to local resident Rick Baldom, who immediately responded by reaching out the Parks Department to see how he could be of assistance. He is consistently available to tackle special projects and maintenance issues that arise at the Porterfield Creek Preserve.

Parks and L&L Storm Event Clean-up

The snow event on Thursday-Friday, February 23-24 generated approximately 3-4 " inches of snow within city limits and up to 6" of snow in higher elevations. A large number of trees within the city experienced limb failures due to the weight of the fallen snow. On Friday, City staff from the Streets and Parks Department responded to approximately 17 down trees or fallen limbs on city streets or within city pakrs and trails. Parks staff in collaboration with the Streets Dept immediately responded by addressing trees directly effecting flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

One notable incident on W. Brookside involved the failure of a large portion of a tree that was inspected by the City Arborist and then removed due to safety concerns. Tree species native to our region are not adapted to sustain sudden weight from significant snowfall. For example, Pine trees branches are able to bow to a great degree without breaking and the effected branches will return to previous position once snow melts. Species native to Cloverdale like Oak Trees in particular are able to withstand some frost and ice but are unable to withstand the weight of snow. Structural damage to facilities or many of our heritage trees was minimized in part due to a concerted effort by the City Parks staff toward consistent seasonal pruning and maintenance over the last several years.

Second Street City Park Graffiti Removal

The 2nd Street City Park was recently impacted from graffiti vandalism. Several buildings were tagged with obscenities. The home baseball field dugout was the main target, and parks staff moved quickly to repaint the structures before the busy park hours.

Cloverdale Parks is asking for your assistance to report any suspicious activity in our local park to avoid delays of planned recreation activities and regular park use. Please call the Police Department non-emergency line at (707) 894-2150 to report any unusual activity at local parks.

Cloverdale Cemetery

In collaboration with the Streets Department, the Cemetery received some much-needed attention to clear large limbs that also suffered the effects of the recent snow event. This clean-up effort and related pruning will continue as conditions improve and time allows. Additional equipment will be utilized when we have less saturated roads for better access to reach the top of the park.

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 Hosted Sonoma Water Day on Monday, February 27

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

The Board of Directors received 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 covered during the special meeting included 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.

The meeting was livestreamed and available via Zoom. The meeting was recorded. To watch the special meeting, click on the following link:

Board of Supervisors on 2023-02-27 8:30 AM - Special Meeting - Feb 27th, 2023 (granicus.com)

Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center Offers Host of Classes and Recreational Programs

The Cloverdale Senior Multipurpose Center offers a host of classes and recreational activities for members and guests. Recreational (Keep Moving) programs offered by the Senior Center include:

Awareness Through Movement - $5 Members $8 Guests
Strength Training - $5 Members $8 Guests
Chair Yoga - $5 Members $8 Guests
Yoga - $5 Members $8 Guests
Qi-Gong Practice - $5 Members $8 Guests
Beanbag Baseball - $0 Members $5 Guests
Belly Dancing - $7 Members $10 Guests

For more information about the schedule of classes and events offered by the Senior Center, please see their Calendar of events: https://www.cloverdaleseniorcenter.org/calendar

Pickleball Equipment Available at Senior Center

The Senior Center also provides pickleball equipment that can be checked out at no cost for use at the City's new Pickleball court recently constructed at Furber Park (see flyer below).

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: March 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 - April 4, 2023
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - April 27, 2023

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