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HomeMy WebLinkAbout021122-01.1 2021 HIGHLIGHTS & OUTCOMES The Annual Planning and Goal Setting Workshop provides an opportunity for the Town Council to reflect on prior year highlights and outcomes that support the Town’s mission to deliver superior municipal services that make people’s lives better. OVERVIEW The 2021 Annual Planning and Goal Setting Workshop was held on February 5. Being eleven months into the pandemic at that point, the Council spent a good portion of the day focused on the impacts of the pandemic on both the operations of the Town and on the local economy. Little did we know at the time that those issues would still be the focus of much of the Town’s efforts as the second anniversary of pandemic approaches. The State of California, Contra Costa County and the Town are all still operating under states of emergency originally declared in February and March of 2020. Town operations continued under an ever-changing set of public health mandates and guidance. As the virus itself has evolved over the past two years into different variants, public health officials have adopted, revised, rescinded and readopted requirements for social distancing, masking and proof of vaccination. The Town has incorporated these rules into our own operations (impacting how we conduct public meetings, facility rentals and special events) and has worked with our local business community to assist them in understanding and complying with these health measures. Town operations continued to evolve during the year as we learned from changes made during the first year of the pandemic and refined or improved on means of delivering service to our residents. The Building Division offered even more permits online and the Recreation, Arts and Community Services staff worked on mixing virtual and in person classes and programs for residents. While public meetings continued to occur virtually via Zoom, the Town Council was able to return to a live evening of Community Service Awards in December. The Council, working with the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, also entered into a Friendship City arrangement with the city of Danville, Kentucky. Finally, while the cherished 4th of July parade could not be staged in July, the Kiwanis Club adapted the event to Labor Day weekend and staged a parade on September 4. For 2022, all stakeholders look forward to the parade being back on July 4th. 2 The Town continued to take actions to assist and support local businesses. The Town Council took action twice to allow for the continued use of expanded outdoor seating and parklets by restaurants while those restaurants contend with ongoing, limited demand for indoor seating by customers. Town staff completed the Forward Focus grant program working with local businesses to allocate the $525,000 in grant funds authorized by the Town Council and continued to work with the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce to reach out and support the local business community in a number of different ways. The Town’s fiscal condition began to recover from the initial pandemic-induced economic impacts. After taking steps to reduce operating expenditures and transfers by $7.5 million spread over fiscal years 2019/20 and 2020/21, revenues rebounded sufficiently to allow the Town Council to restore 2021/22 operating expenditures to 2019/20 levels. The fiscal outlook was further aided by the receipt of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. (ARPA). Under the ARPA, the town was awarded $10.6 million to be received in two equal installments of $5.3 million in July 2021 and July 2022. With funds from the first installment, the Town was able to provide $950,000 to a total of nine non-profits servicing Danville; reserve $850,000 to fund senior services, mental health and homeless service providers; and appropriated $3.7 million for six different capital improvement projects. The Town closed the books on the 2020/21 fiscal year with a positive General Fund balance, allowing funds to be transferred into the Capital Improvement Program and to increasing the Operating Reserve. The Police Department continued their efforts to combat Part I crimes and reduce traffic accidents, efforts which once again lead Safewise to name Danville the “Safest City in California.” They did this while addressing the fallout from a fatal officer involved shooting that occurred on March 11. That incident and the subsequent criminal trial and conviction of the officer involved on charges stemming from an earlier shooting, sparked concern among some Town residents about the Department, against a backdrop of concerns played out across the country in the last several years. The Chief of Police and all members of the Department focused on continuing to do their jobs in a professional manner and to interact with those community members expressing concerns. The Development Services Department worked on a number of important initiatives, many of them in response to ongoing state intrusion into local planning. The year started with adoption of an ordinance regulating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and ended with adoption of a set of standards for new projects that will be authorized by SB 9, the legislation which effectively ends single family zoning. In between, the Town appealed (unsuccessfully) the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) allocated to the Town by ABAG and ramped up work on the next Housing Element, which must be adopted by the end of 2022. 3 In addition to these housing related efforts, the Town was able to address forward planning efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of life for our residents. After a long public input process, the Town Council approved the Town-wide Bicycle Master Plan which will provide a guide to improvements that will improve bicycle access and safety throughout the community. At the end of 2021, the Town kicked off the update to the Downtown Master Plan which will look at options to enhance the Downtown, helping both businesses and those visiting to shop, dine and recreate. The upcoming Housing Element featured prominently in the Town’s public outreach efforts for the year. Town staff held a number of public workshops, posted extensive materials on the Town’s website and retained consultants to assist with community surveys and public participation efforts for the coming year. 2021 also saw the launch of the monthly Town Talks video sessions with the Mayor, hosting a discussion of topics of interest to residents. The Town’s Public Information Officer continued to use social media to communicate with our residents. Legislatively, the Town Council continued with advocacy efforts aimed at the regional, state and federal levels, in the face of government efforts to require cities to plan for and produce additional housing, especially for very low- and low-income households. Work continued on the plans to relocate the Town offices to 500 La Gonda Way. By the end of the year, substantial progress had been made on the Police Department facility, furniture had been ordered and contracts were being finalized for the work on the Town office part of the project as well as the new driveway and parking lot work. It is still anticipated that all Town personnel will be moved into the new facility by summer of 2022. In other capital improvement work, contracts have been awarded for pavement management work, environmental work is being done for the multi-use path along Diablo Road, new ballfield lights are being installed at Diablo Vista Park (work being paid for by the Sports Alliance) and various park projects, including the Town Green and the skatepark at Diablo Vista Park, will soon be in design. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021 Legislative • The Town continued to operate under a local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and, adhered to various COVID-19 related Health Orders issued by the Contra Costa County Health Services Department and the State of California. 4 • Continued to ensure the ongoing fiscal health of the Town by adopting a balanced 2021/22 operating budget, restoring some expenditures and staffing following on the $7.5 million in reductions enacted over the prior two fiscal years. Maintained strong reserves and sustainable ten-year forecasts. • Continued to conduct all public meetings via remote (ZOOM) format while adhering to the revised Brown Act requirements. • Town Council held separate joint meetings with each appointed Town commission and board. • Continued to adjust and extend temporary outdoor restaurant seating within public rights to mitigate economic impacts of the pandemic. • Worked with Tri-Valley Cities Coalition and state legislators to advocate for changes to the Senate Pro-Tem “Building Opportunities For All” housing package including SB 9 and SB 10, to lessen their impacts to Danville. • Presented monthly legislative reports during Town Council meetings. • Hosted Tri-Valley Cities Council Meeting featuring an Outreach Presentation by the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission. • Adopted a resolution approving a Friendship City partnership with Danville, Kentucky. • Adopted recommendations for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding to offset revenue loss, support program funding and administration, non-profit partnership funding and project funding. • Updated the Tri-Valley Cities 2021 Legislative Framework • The Town was officially designated as a Purple Heart Community. • Concluded the year with the 40th Annual Mayoral Installation and Community Service Awards. • Successfully recruited for, interviewed and filled several Commission, Board and position vacancies. Administration & Finance • Administered ARPA funding awarded to the Town, providing $950,000 to nine non-profit organizations, reserving $850,000 to fund senior services, mental health and homeless services; and appropriating $3.5 million to help fund several capital improvement projects. • Continued to operate with reduced staffing levels in several departments pending more complete economic recovery. • Continued to interpret and apply COVID-19 requirements set forth by Contra Costa Health Services, the California Department of Public Health and the CDC, and adapt Town operations services to all protocols and guidelines. • Completed the 2020/21 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), realizing a positive $8.1 million General Fund balance. 5 • Received Government Finance Officers Association recognition for excellence in financial reporting for a nineteenth consecutive year. • Maintained numerous highly successful interagency partnerships to better serve and support the community. Economic Development • Selected consultant SWA Group to update the Downtown Master Plan and launched the process in September 2021. • Administered Phases 1 and 2 of the $525,000 Forward Focus Grant Program to support local businesses through the pandemic. Closed the grant program on December 31, 2021 after awarding 137 grants totaling $489,814. • Provided Business Assistance Programs to support the first and second phases of Cares Act funding and other federally sponsored pandemic relief programs for businesses. • Continued with management of temporary outdoor restaurant seating/ extensions within public rights of way for the duration of the pandemic. • Implemented the Holiday Marketing Campaign “Keep Danville Merry and Bright”, which included comprehensive outreach efforts through multiple modes of media and the development of a 28-page print/digital “Danville Picks” holiday gift guide. The guide provided discounted ad rates where 67 businesses participated to promote their local gifts ideas and encourage the community to support local businesses. • Continued growth and promotion of local businesses through the online Danville Business Directory, powered by Bludot Technologies. • Increased engagement and followers on the Live Locally Danville Instagram Account (almost 4K followers). Police and Emergency Services • Closed 2021 with a near record low in Part 1 reported crimes. Reported crime for 2021 rose by 7% from 2020. This stands as the second lowest year for Part 1 reported crime, 26% lower than the 10-year average. • Received the distinction of “Safest City in California” with a population of 50,000 or less in 2021 for the fifth year in a row by Safewise, an independent review website. • Closed 2021 with a 14% increase in total reported collisions, the second lowest reported collision total ever logged, 21% below the 10-year average for reported traffic collisions. There were no fatal collisions in 2021. • Continued the 10-8 program, a weekly livestreamed event that allows for engagement and interaction with residents via Facebook and YouTube to replace in person engagement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 6 • Monitored Contra Costa Health Department Health Orders to assist with community education and undertake enforcement activities when warranted. • Continued the Disaster Preparedness Program to increase readiness efforts aimed at preparing for and responding to any natural or man-made disasters or emergencies that could befall the Town. Community Outreach • Launched www.danvilletowntalks.org as a convenient and easy way for the community to stay informed and participate in the issues that matter to them. The new platform provides several outreach tools and enables educational elements for current projects, including the Housing Element Update and the Downtown Master Plan Update. • Continuously updated and refreshed the Town website to provide information and services to residents, including COVID-19, health orders issued by County Health Services, the status of Town services and facilities, information and resources for businesses, and other community updates. • Continued social media efforts to highlight Town programs and essential local information. The Town continues to see a steady increase in followers on its Nextdoor, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. • Launched the “Town Talks with the Mayor” program to provide a safe way for residents to connect with their community leaders and get up to the minute information on the issues and topics important to Danville. • Continued to utilize the Live Locally Quarterly Newsletter to promote Town projects, Town events, and public safety. The newsletter is delivered to approximately 20,000 Danville households. Sustainability • Adopted SB 1383 Compliant Procurement Policy and State of California’s Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). • Continued membership with MCE Clean Energy, a Community Choice Energy program, providing ratepayers with greater choices for renewable energy options. • Continued a reduction in electricity usage through operation of photovoltaic arrays at four separate Town facilities. Capital Improvement Program • Started construction on the new Police Services Building at 500 La Gonda Way. • Completed construction of the $900,000 San Ramon Creek pedestrian bridge connecting Diablo Road and the Riverwalk development to the Town Green. 7 • Continued the design and secured a FEMA grant for the Loch Lomond, Starview, and Westridge Trash Rack projects. • Continued the design for the San Ramon Valley Boulevard Improvements project. • Completed the design work and awarded a contract for construction of the 2021/22 Rubberized Cape Seal project. • Completed Phase I of the Traffic Signal Controller Upgrade Project. • Successfully procured $2,035,000 in Engineering and Transportation grants. • Began design of Diablo Road Trail Improvements • Began design of Iron Horse Trail and MVHS/Stone Valley Road Crossing Improvements (RRFBs). • Replaced/upgraded lighted crosswalk systems at two locations (La Gonda Way and Blemer Rd). • Replaced Battery Back-up System Components at 15 intersections. • Continued the inventory and condition assessment of the Town’s storm drainage system for the Town-wide Storm Drain Master Plan. Development Services • Completed a new Town-wide Bicycle Master Plan • Adapted service delivery to provide increased ability for customers to apply for and receive various permits and entitlements online and remotely. • Completed Liverpool Neighborhood NTMP • Continued work on the Townwide Fiber Optic Master Plan, A-620 • Completed Biennial Traffic Monitoring Program • Initiated work on Caltrans’ funded Local Roadway Safety Improvement Plan • Initiated work on Tri-Valley Transportation Plan/Action Plan for Routes of Regional Significance update (TVTC & SWAT) • Completed Tri-Valley Transportation Development Fee Nexus Study, continued work on TVTDF Strategic Expenditure Plan • Re-initiated TRAFFIX student transportation services to 11 schools/1,200 students and launched RFID card/FirstView Parent Application • Continued participation/contributions to CCTA Innovate680 TAC/PAC, Growth Management Program Task Force (included adoption of Measure J Growth Management Program Update), Bi-County Traffic Modeling Group • Deployed and monitored approximately 22 Downtown Parklets with over 200 barricades/traffic control devices procured and deployed with a materials cost of $115,000. Maintenance Services • Completed annual renovation of the turf in the large dog park at Hap Magee Ranch Park (rated the best dog park in the area by Diablo Magazine). 8 • Completed the annual creek cleaning project prior to October 15 and the winter rains. • Responded to historic storms in October and protected life and property with minimal damage to Town facilities. • Continued managing the automated underground irrigation system (UgMO), refining it to maximize water efficiency and prepare for potential future expansion to other sites. • Awarded new landscape maintenance contracts for Parks - Lighting and Landscape Assessment District Zone D. • Continued to manage all buildings for enhanced safety during the pandemic, including replacing the higher efficacy HVAC filters quarterly. • Rebuilt the gazebo and demolished the dilapidated barn at Hap Magee Ranch Park. • Repainted the Town Service Center exterior and replaced the building signage. • Repainted all red curbs throughout Town (approximately 75,000 linear feet). Recreation, Arts, and Community Services • Began the Age-Friendly Road Map development process with the Senior Advisory Commission. • Continued to adapt recreation and enrichment programming and activities to both in person and virtual formats • Continued to work with the Arts Advisory Board and Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission to prioritize and continue implementation of recommendations in the Parks, Recreation and Arts Strategic Plan. • Successfully reopened the Community Center, Senior Center, Village Theatre & Art Gallery to the public with procedures in place to safely resume indoor, in-person programming for all ages. • Introduced the community to everyone’s favorite Acorn – Auggie! • Resumed adult sports leagues for the fall 2021 season. Bocce and Adult softball were played at Sycamore Valley Park • Began taking indoor rentals again following all state and county guidelines • Added 2 new pickleball courts out at Osage Station Park • Re-opened the Teen center sites at all three Danville middle schools. • Collaborated with other departments and the DACC to help promote Economic Development to include local businesses in events like: May the 4th Be With You, 2nd annual Scarecrow Stroll and the Amazing Race. • Added new outdoor summer camps at Sycamore Park, Osage Park, and Diablo Vista Park. • Continued to feature and promote public art, highlighted by the Shrumen Lumen sculpture summer exhibit at the Danville Library the Village Theatre & Art Gallery. 9 • Moved Preschool Performance Series and Comedy with Liz Grant & Friends outside to the Town Green to allow for increased attendance. • Offered a virtual Shakespeare Playshop for kids in partnership with Cal Shakes. • Offered two Art After Dark events with live music and some sweet treats. • Hosted 5 community events including: a scaled-back version of the annual Kiwanis-Danville parade on Labor Day weekend, Danville Fallfest (1-day due to weather-related cancellation of Day 2), and a well-attended Lighting of the Old Oak Tree. • Incorporated additional guidelines and support for event organizers to comply with health protocols established by Contra Costa Health Services. Attachment – Notes from 2021 Planning and Goal Setting Workshop 2021 ANNUAL TOWN COUNCIL PLANNING & GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP MEETING NOTES AND OUTCOMES Friday, February 5, 2021, 8:30 a.m. Danville Community Center 2020 Highlights & Challenges The Town Council reviewed and discussed highlights and challenges from the past year. Topics covered included: Highlights: • The Organization learned how to do business virtually in a matter of days. • Staff responded very well to working with no roadmap of what to do and how to do it during the pandemic. • The Town took a conservative approach to fiscal management and it paid off. • Staff demonstrated an ability to continue to do “town business” by adopting and learning through virtual platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft TEAMS. • The Police Department continues to receive consistent positive feedback from the public. • The Building Division had to create an online business model and play catchup with customers. Electronic submissions and service levels are up due to the hard work of the staff. • The Police Department 10-8 show is outstanding. • The Economic Development team had to deal with the emotions, anxieties and stressors of businesses failing and there is great appreciation for the excellent work that was done. • The Town has been effective in communicating to the businesses and in a business- as-usual way. • The City Clerk ran an outstanding election. • The City Clerk had to learn how to conduct a Zoom TC meeting, create training documentation and train all other staff members on this format. She was steady and composed through out this transition. • The pedestrian bridges installed throughout town give us character and are an integral part of increasing mobility and connecting residents to parks, trails and the downtown area. 2 • The San Ramon Creek Bridge and the Village Theatre Bridge are stunning projects that are going to provide downtown businesses with more foot traffic and help them recover. • The response to the pandemic from staff has been wonderful. • Mayor Stepper’s leadership through this year has been outstanding. • Hearts on Hartz public art was a tremendous success. Hopefully, some of the art can stay in place in the future. • Landscaping and renovations continue to occur throughout town. • The Dog Park is amazing and well maintained. • We are ahead in our advocacy work and RHNA work. • The Town Council is appreciative and thankful for all the hard work over the past year. Challenges: • We need to continue to maintain safety in a community that does not believe in wearing masks. The message about COVID-19 safety needs to continue. • We need to continue to address local control issues in legislation. • How to commit to grow and enhance outreach in our community for resident engagement. We need to do this in a way that is understood by our residents. Mid-Year 2019/20 Operating Budget and CIP Status Report Town Council accepted the mid-year operating budget and CIP status report, and discussed the following: Operating Budget • The Town continues to be in a very positive financial condition. • The formal Mid-Year Financial Report will be presented at the February 16, 2021 Town Council meeting. • Property tax is tracking ahead of where we were last year at $15.5 million. • Sales tax is information is for the first 5 months, initial receipts indicate revenues are exceeding estimates due to an increase in online sales offsetting reductions in brick- and-mortar retail stores. • The pandemic has highlighted trends that are already underway. People are not spending less; they are spending it differently. • Contra Costa County pool percentage of sales tax revenue is growing. In 2020, 23.6% of the sales tax revenue is coming from the County pool. • Town of Danville retail is performing better than most markets with an estimated revenue of $6 million vs. $5.5 million budget projection. 3 • The Recreation recovery is taking longer than expected, currently 20% of the staff is redeployed to other positions. • Overall revenue has seen some significant variances in forecast but the overall variance is positive. There are not recommended changes on the expenditure side of the ledger. • Mid-year adjustments include adjustments to special revenue costs due to consultant expenditures covering staff turnover of Plan Review Engineer, Permit Tech and Transportation Division. • Maintenance will need LLAD revenue to offset $1.5 million water expense budget due to lack rainfall this season. Capital Improvement Program • Over the last 20 years the Town has expended an average of $7.4 million on CIP. • There are currently 64 active projects. • CIP budget for 2020/21 was adjusted to $2.5 million for 16 projects due to the pandemic. • Synthetic Turf Replacement was a $700k expense we did not expect to have this year. Sprint Turf contributed $175k towards this expense. • Engineering is planning another slurry seal project in 2021. Currently finalizing candidate list and will go out to bid this summer. • Park and Ride expansion - COVID-19 delayed Measure J Funds, they are still on hold. Currently the town has expended $700k on the project. Design and plans are complete and ready to go to bid. There are no matching funds for this project. • There is an option to put the project on hold to evaluate changes in commuting patterns due to the pandemic. • The 500 La Gonda Way project costs projections are $7.5 million against a budget of $5 million. The project is $1.6-7 million short to complete. • San Ramon Creek Bridge will be completed week ending February 12. Prop 68 Parks Bond per capita funds of $205k are being used to offset the expenditure. • Ongoing Maintenance costs of over $16 million will have to be funded from 2022- 2025. Service Delivery after COVID-19 Town Council accepted the report, and discussed the following: • The Town is reviewing how service delivery changes and can be delivered after the COVID-19 pandemic. • Public Meetings – Town Council does not believe we should transition back to the way we used to conduct public meetings. Option would be to use a combination of Zoom and live meetings, although there are concerns about the logistics of doing both. 4 • Zoom has provided Council with a chance to reach more residents, allowing residents to engage in a more convenient and remote manner. Commissioner attendance went up with the Zoom application. • Virtual meetings can build upon and promote greater community engagement which was a topic at the Town Council and Commissions workshop in 2019. • We should continue to move to digital platforms as they are more efficient and we have figured out how to communicate very well on Zoom. • Planning Commission would like to continue to use Zoom. • The 500 La Gonda Way footprint will not change based on any changes to staff working from home. • The model for a large meeting would be a good place to start for writing procedures, creating a format and running a meeting. • All online public meetings need to have the same format from Town Council to Commissions meetings. • Government 101 is great content for online classes. • Mayor’s Town Halls are another option for Zoom if the format and content is consistent. • Council would like to replace the video projector and place a high-definition screen that all council can see. Housing Element Update: Challenges and Strategies • State Legislation has significantly impacted housing policy. The Governor believes the way to solve the homelessness crisis and housing crisis is to increase housing production. • HCD assigned regional numbers to ABAG of 441k units to be distributed in 9 counties. • The Town was allocated 2241 housing units through the RHNA process. To meet these numbers in 5 income categories, 70-90 acres of land will be needed. • The RHNA numbers and methodology were challenged by the town. • Penalties for failure to comply with an HCD certified housing element are $100k per month. • The next step in the RHNA process is the “public comment” phase from July to the end of the year. • 97% of the cities in California are not meeting their housing element. • The Town plans to file an appeal of the RHNA numbers with ABAG. • The Town has to submit a Housing Element to HCD by January 23, 2022. • The Planning Division is in the process of identifying properties that satisfy housing elements, however, current undeveloped properties will not come close to offset RHNA numbers. 5 • The 2022-30 Housing Element process will be combined with rezoning and EIR before going through the review process. • The Housing Element will go to the Planning Commission in the Fall of 2022 and Town Council by the end of the year. Regional, State, and Federal Legislative Update Town Council accepted the Legislative Advocacy report, and discussed the following: • Currently 25 housing bills in the 2021 legislative session and one impact fee bill, more expected. • Legislative updates will be added to the T.C. meeting agendas the second Tuesday of the month. • Senate Pro Tem housing package, “Building Opportunities for All” contains 5 bills including SB 6, SB 7, SB 8, SB 9 and SB 10 and a bill to enact legislation that would authorize the issuance of bonds. The proceeds of the bonds are to be used for housing related programs. • The grant program has been extended to the end of the fiscal year.