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HomeMy WebLinkAbout013125 Highlights and Outcomes 2024 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. DISCUSSION The 2024 Annual Planning and Goal Setting Workshop held on February 2 focused on ongoing efforts to maintain the highest level of community safety and fiscal health; certification of the 2023-31 Housing Element and subsequent implementation efforts; a growing list of capital and capital maintenance needs; completing design work and constructing the new Downtown Master Plan Catalyst Project; and, continuation of ambitious Pavement Management efforts. After an intensive four year long process, the Town was able to secure approval from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the 2023-31 Housing Element. Certification followed several rounds of discussions and revisions that were dictated by HCD, which delayed the certification by a full year. As a result, several development applications that were contingent upon state certification were already in the queue and prepared to move forward through the planning process. Downtown improvement efforts continued, aimed at further revitalizing and activating downtown spaces to increase business patronage. A $4.9 million construction contract was awarded and work commenced on the new Downtown Master Plan, “catalyst” projects focused on creating safety features at 5 intersections along Hartz Avenue, from Linda Mesa to School Street, creating more community gathering spaces by renovating and expanding Prospect Park Plaza and creating a new plaza space between the VTAG and Town Meeting Hall to be used for temporary performances and gatherings. The Police Department continued their efforts to combat increases in property crimes, coupled with maintaining a case closure rate for violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) that is more than double the national average. These efforts contributed to Danville continuing to be recognized as the safest city in California by multiple sources. The department engaged collaboratively with mental health response units A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) and MHET (Mental Health Evaluation Team) to implement alternative strategies for addressing mental health crises, significantly reducing the number of involuntary mental health commitments. 2 The Town continued efforts to support and assist local businesses in a variety of ways. Business Promotion Grants were leveraged to assist over 200 local businesses, and a new "Open in Danville" program was launched to welcome new businesses. The Town’s Business Resources webpage was enhanced to be more user-friendly and accessible, and a new “Danville Prospector” tool was made available to assist businesses in finding the right location in Danville. Regional holiday shopping marketing efforts successfully reached over 55,000 people. The Town hosted 10 community events, drawing over 53,000 attendees in total, including the Kiwanis Danville July 4th Parade (35,000 attendees) and the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree (8,000 attendees). Other Chamber sponsored smaller scale activities such as “Sip and Stroll” events, and a fall Oktoberfest helped to further enliven and drive traffic downtown. The Town also sponsored and staged four “Music in the Park” concerts. Legislatively, the Town Council continued advocacy efforts both directly and through the Tri-Valley cities coalition, aimed at the state and federal levels. Areas of focus for advocacy include: Transportation and Infrastructure; Climate, Environment, Health and Safety; Economic Development; Affordable Housing and Homelessness; Mental Health and Fiscal Sustainability. Community outreach efforts continued through implementation of a new Outreach Strategy that included updating social media handles, consolidating social media accounts, using a communications liaison group to market projects, programs and activities and implementing logo changes to strengthen and consolidate the Town brand. The DanvilleTownTalks website continued to share information about key subjects and issues and solicit citizen engagement. Several video sessions of Town Talks with the Mayor were hosted, each presenting discussions on topics of interest to residents. The Town’s fiscal condition remained positive despite increasing contract and utility costs, and decisions made by FEMA and other federal agencies to deny cost reimbursement for the over $4 million in unanticipated repair and recovery costs arising from the devastating winter 2022/23 storms. Despite these challenges, the Town closed the books on the 2023/24 fiscal year with a positive $7.55 million General Fund balance. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024 General Government Administration & Legislative • Continued to ensure the ongoing fiscal health of the Town by adopting a balanced 2024/25 operating budget. Maintained strong reserves and sustainable ten-year forecasts. • Successfully recruited for, interviewed, and filled several Commission, Board and position vacancies. 3 • Initiated a feasibility study to consider changes and updates to the Town-wide Lighting and Landscape Assessment District which supports ongoing maintenance of Town parks, buildings, roadside landscaping and street lighting, and contributes to the Town’s overall quality of life and property values. • Worked directly and with the Tri-Valley Cities Coalition to advocate for changes to legislation in a manner that benefits Danville. The coalition tracked and provided input on 23 state bills, 3 federal bills, and 3 state measures. • Presented monthly legislative updates during regular Town Council meetings. • Concluded the year with the 42nd Annual Mayoral Installation and Community Service Awards. Economic Development and Community Events • Approved 11 Business Promotion Grants totaling $30,000, providing assistance to over 200 local businesses. • Promoted 36 local businesses and reached over 55,000 people through regional holiday shopping marketing efforts. Developed and distributed a survey to participants to gather feedback as part of an ongoing effort to improve program effectiveness. • Refocused the Business Resources webpage to enhance its interface to be more user- friendly and accessible. This includes launching the “Danville Prospector” tool for site selection to make it easier for businesses to find the right location in Danville. • Developed and implemented the "Open in Danville" program to welcome new businesses to Danville and introduce them to Town resources. • Hosted 10 community events, drawing over 53,000 attendees in total, including the Kiwanis Danville July 4th Parade (35,000 attendees) and the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree (8,000 attendees). • Continued partnerships with Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, Museum of the San Ramon Valley, Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (NPS), i-GATE, Innovation Tri-Valley, East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Visit Tri-Valley. • Worked with the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association to identify ways to boost market performance to pre-pandemic levels and remain competitive with other local markets. Communications • Created marketing materials for 168 programs, events, and projects. • Ensured consistent and near-constant communication with downtown businesses owners throughout the Downtown Catalyst Project construction through in person visits and 500 fliers, updates through weekly business-direct emails, as well as daily contact with the project management team and Economic Development staff. • Posted weekly updates and traffic advisories to the Town’s social media about the Downtown Master Plan Catalyst Project, as well as general posts about Downtown businesses open during construction. • Launched a new email marketing platform as well as a new youth-focused recreation activities email. Total subscriptions on the platform are more than 15,000. 4 • Relaunched the Danville Police Department’s Instagram account. Utilized the account to share public safety-related news and updates as well as to continue the strong connection between the community and its police department. Doubled followers from around 600 to more than 1,200 in this fiscal year, the first full year of activity. • Town social media account followers at fiscal year-end: 10,163 Instagram, 10,095 Facebook. Sustainability • 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. • Continued efforts to implement SB 1383, adopted in 2022, which is aimed at reducing disposal of organic materials generated through various Town activities and services. Police and Emergency Services • Danville continues to be recognized as the safest city in California by multiple sources, such as Property Club and ADT. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Danville has been awarded this prestigious title by at least one online publication. • Engaged in a collaborative initiative with mental health response units A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) and MHET (Mental Health Evaluation Team) to implement alternative strategies for addressing mental health crises. This effort resulted in a reduction of involuntary mental health commitments to 72 for the year, a decrease from the 10-year average of 91.4 commitments. • 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. • Continued the Police Chief's weekly "10-8" live video podcast, which experienced viewership figures between 50 to 400 per episode on both Facebook and YouTube platforms. • Handled a total of 22,658 service calls, marking an increase from 19,337, primarily attributed to enhanced proactive community policing initiatives. • Escalated traffic enforcement efforts in response to increased collision rates and public complaints regarding driving conduct, resulting in an increase in citations issued from 1,922 to 3,850. • Maintained a case closure rate for violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) that is more than double the national average. • Continued to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to recover up to $4.5 million in public assistance related to emergency repair and recovery costs attributable to the declared local emergency associated with the December 31, 2022, winter storms. 5 Administrative Services Finance • Coordinated the preparation of the 2024/25 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program for presentation to and consideration by the Town Council. • Completed the 2023/24 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), realizing a positive $7.55 million General Fund balance. • Continued to implement and administer the American Rescue Plan Act including compliance with all reporting requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for the $10.6 million in local recovery funds awarded to the Town. • Received Government Finance Officers Association recognition for excellence in financial reporting for a twenty-second consecutive year. • Maintained numerous highly successful interagency partnerships to better serve and support the community. Information Technology • Completed the Town Meeting Hall audio/visual renovation and replacement project. • Implemented new and refined technologies and network infrastructure in the Town Offices. Improved bandwidth to the various Town sites and the Internet. Updated audio/video systems at various sites. • Continued to implement additional security measures and monitor cybersecurity issues to protect the Town from these ongoing types of attacks. • Deployed monthly email phishing tests to all users and provide yearly cyber security awareness training. • Implemented new PCI compliant payment terminals at Permit Center and Recreation Department for taking secure credit card payments. Development Services Capital Improvement Program • Largely completed construction on the $4.9 million Downtown Master Plan Catalyst Project aimed at improving pedestrian safety and accessibility in Downtown Danville. • Completed revised engineering design and bid packages for the Diablo Vista Park Playground & Multi-Use Skate Park projects which will go to bid in January 2025. • Continued to pursue approval for the Diablo Road Multi-Purpose Trail Project through State regulatory agencies including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. • Continued design of the Townwide Fiber Optic Interconnect project, incorporating and installing conduit within street segments under construction (such as Hartz Avenue and San Ramon Valley Boulevard). • Completed construction of the El Pintado Loop Drainage and Pavement Improvements. 6 • Secured the authorization to proceed from Caltrans to construct the San Ramon Valley Boulevard Improvements project in the upcoming fiscal year, subsequent to the installation of fiber optic infrastructure along the same road alignment. • Continued design work for the $6 million project to replace the La Gonda Way bridge at Danville Boulevard. • Completed installation of upgraded electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at four municipal parking lots downtown including the Clocktower Parking Lot, Railroad Avenue Parking Lot, Village Theatre Parking Lot and the Danville Library and Community Center Parking Lot. Planning and Building • Secured State certification on the Town’s 2023–2031 Housing Element on April 9, 2024, the culmination of a 14-month effort responding to questions and modifications required by the California State Department of Housing and Community Development. • Reviewed and processed 161 planning applications ranging from variances and land use permits to subdivisions and development plans. • Revised and approved 2,533 building permits, conducting 1,890 plan checks and 3,199 building inspections. • Reviewed and processed 500 encroachment permits for private or utility-related construction activity within the public right-of-way. • Opened and facilitated the resolution of 416 code enforcement cases, a 37% increase from the prior year. Transportation and Traffic Safety • Completed design and construction of the Paraiso Drive (west of Brookside Drive), Orange Blossom, and Greenbrook Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) projects. • Continued implementing the Townwide Bicycle Facility Improvements project including design of new bicycle facility for San Ramon Valley Blvd Improvements project. • Completed design for three Iron Horse Trail Crossings (Love Lane, Del Amigo Road, West Linda Mesa) and one School Crossing Safety Improvements (Stone Valley Road at Monte Sereno) and currently awaiting authorization to proceed with construction from Caltrans. • Continued design of additional improvements along the Iron Horse Trail Crossings at Greenbrook Drive, Paraiso Drive, and El Capitan Drive. • Received Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds to acquire the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) equipment needed to complete the Iron Horse Trail network (including Hartford Road and West Prospect Avenues). • Continued to work with regional and subregional agencies such as the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Tri-Valley Transportation Council (TVTC) to implement regional improvements to intraregional travel and minimize cut-through traffic in Danville. 7 • Continued to actively participate in the TRAFFIX Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and completed re-negotiation of a new contract for the school bus operator. Maintenance Services • Completed the replacement of 5 acres of synthetic turf at Sycamore Valley Park, extending the field’s usable life by another 8-10 years. • 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). • Continued managing the automated underground irrigation system (UgMO), refining it to maximize water efficiency and prepare for potential future expansion to other sites. • Continued to eliminate turf areas in passive landscapes within parks and roadsides. • Resurfaced two Town-maintained tennis courts at Monte Vista High School. • Completed a drainage improvement project on Van Patten Drive, alleviating chronic flooding across 500 feet of roadway. • Completed the annual creek cleaning program to reduce flood risks across the Town’s water system through in-house and contract efforts. • Managed the street sweeping services contract, covering over 210 miles of streets, to ensure clean roadways and prevent pollutants from entering the Town’s 34 miles of creeks. Recreation, Arts and Community Services • Undertook design efforts to implement the new Town Green Master Plan by working with the Parks, Recreation & Arts Commission and Arts Advisory Board. Established project component priorities, which led to a focus on the Town Studio (Maker Space) and Pavilion on the Town Green as project priorities. • Served 5,285 households though 1,649 recreation classes which had a total of 20,753 participants. Of this total, 6,188 were senior participants. • Provided social connections with 1,554 volunteers for various Town programs throughout Town. • Facilitated 540 facility rentals, comprised of 530 picnic and 35 bocce court rentals. • 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. • Offered a full range of adult sports leagues for the fall 2024 season. • Continued to feature and promote public art through a series of exhibits at the Village Theatre & Art Gallery. Attachment – Notes from 2024 Planning and Goal Setting Workshop 8 2024 ANNUAL TOWN COUNCIL PLANNING & GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP MEETING NOTES AND OUTCOMES Friday, February 2, 2024, 8:30 a.m. Crow Canyon Country Club 2023 Highlights and Outcomes • J. Calabrigo highlighted the ending of almost four years of operating under local state of emergency due to COVID and storms impact. • Mayor Stepper noted the completion of projects that support safety including traffic signal updates and the license plate readers. • Councilmember Storer complimented staff on the consistency and being available when coming to the office; Maintenance and Development Services on their response to the rainstorms in the beginning of 2024; and recognized Danville being named safest city in California. • Councilmember Arnerich highlighted the completion of the Housing Element update process, and numerous construction projects for emergency storm repair, while still being able to move the Downtown Master Plan catalyst project forward. He also highlighted Recreation returning to pre-COVID numbers and the communication to the public regarding private development. • Councilmember Morgan highlighted getting the Housing Element approved, the support Economic Development is provided to business through various programs, and the media presence on social media platforms including DanvilleTownTalks.org. She also pointed out that Danville continues to have a positive fund balance, and highlights that even with COVID and storms Danville still maintained a balanced budget. • Councilmember Fong shared positive feedback shared by residents on their interactions with Town staff and recognized that Danville is a safe community. • Mayor Stepper complimented staff on availability to get direct content on projects and other information pertaining to Town business. • Councilmember Arnerich recognized Development Services for their efforts to keep projects moving. • Councilmember Fong highlighted the communication between the Town and the residents. • Mayor Stepper highlighted the TVC Washington DC advocacy trip and being able to meet directly with elected officials. 2 Mid-Year 2023/24 Operating Budget Update Town Council accepted the Mid-Year Operating Budget and discussed the following: • J. Calabrigo confirmed a formal midyear budget review with amendments at February TC meeting. o Mid-year revenues are tracking ahead of the approved budget; expenditures expected to finish within the budget and will close out the year on a positive. • J. Calabrigo highlighted a handout summarizing the costs of the storm related project expenses and indicated that the Town spent $5 million for emergency projects. o Of the $6.4 million appropriated, nearly $1.3 million will be able to be rolled back for other purposes in FY24/25. • J. Calabrigo discussed claims filed with both FEMA and FHWA for emergency repairs including the Diablo Road Colvert repair and the Front Street emergency repair. o FEMA is pushing back on the Front Street repair claim, indicating it was preexisting condition. The Town has asked to meet with them and enlisted Congressman DeSaulnier’s office for support. • Councilmember Arnerich inquired on getting a budget together for future asset replacement projects. o S. Jones gave an update on the Storm Drain Master Plan and upcoming projects that span of three years. • Councilmember Morgan highlighted utilizing existing technology (i.e. drone) to track critical areas that could potentially fail during storms. o S. Jones indicated one of the goals of the Storm Drain Master Plan is to establish a maintenance and inspections program to ensure we are well prepared and highlighted the creek map created. • J. Calabrigo referenced handout outlining year over year revenue and highlighted the following: o Sales tax number for the year are exceeded what was forecasted, however revenue is declining year over year. o Bradley Burns portion of the sales tax, quarter over quarter is down by 8.6%.  Vice Mayor Fong inquired on data on business turnover.  J. Calabrigo confirmed while we track business comings and goings, it is not comprehensive to the whole town. o Councilmember Arnerich discussed the decline of brick-and-mortar businesses and the uprise of online retailers like Amazon. • Recreation fee and charges revenue budgeted at $2.5 million; nearly returning to pre- COVID high of $2.6 million. • J. Calabrigo provided an update on Special Revenue funding and highlighted the increase in property owners investing in improving homes and buildings throughout the town. o Councilmember Fong inquired on the impact of ADUs property tax revenue. 3 o J. Calabrigo indicated while the data has not been tracked, assumption can be made based on the number of ADUs built each year. • J. Calabrigo provided an update on expenditures, and highlighted the following: o Risk management costs are expected to go up.  Councilmember Morgan inquired on the impact of road conditions on claims.  R. Ewing indicated the most expensive claims are trip and falls; but pavement conditions are not the issue. o Effective immediately, PG&E will be increasing the costs of streetlights by 25%. • J. Calabrigo indicated no changes to the 10-year forecast at mid-year ---but will be taking a new approach with 24/25 budget planning. Mid-Year 2023/24 Capital Improvement Program Update Town Council accepted the Mid-Year Capital Improvement update and discussed the following: • D. Friedmann discussed handout highlighting 40 recently completed projects. • D. Friedmann provided an update on the Downtown Master Plan including bid results on February 13 followed up with Award of Contract at Town Council meeting. • D. Friedmann provided a status update on storm response related projects. • S. Jones provided an update and discussed handout outlining a two-year outlook of current projects. • Council discussed impact of AB 1572 including: o D. Casteel provided an update that we are in the preparation phase and can complete smaller areas in-house. Outlook of larger projects are dependent on funding. o J. Calabrigo clarified that state law does not require the replacement of non function turf, only to stop watering beginning 2027. • Discussed the La Gonda Way Bridget Replacement – funded 88% • Councilmember Morgan inquired on what the Traffic Signal Modernization Project entails. o A. Dillard provided an updated on the Smarts Signals project to upgrade signals along the San Ramon Valley corridor downtown, and the traffic modernization project to install video detection cameras, CCTV cameras, and upgraded software along Sycamore Valley, Camino Tassajara, and Crow Canyon corridors. • T. Williams discussed handout outlining funding allocation for all CIP projects and funding sources and highlighted the lack of funding in LLAD. 4 Economic Development Strategies Town Council accepted the Economic Development Strategies report and discussed the following: • T. Williams highlighted the change in consumer behavior and new expectations from the business community, prompted the need to update the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan in the next year, along with a handful of interim ideas. • J. Starnes discussed successful programs during 2023 including the Business Promotions Grant program. Also discussed new ideas including launching a new business toolkit, Open in Danville program for new businesses, and revamping the Danville History Tour with the Heritage Resource Commission. • Councilmember Arnerich shared his observations of the downtown businesses and inquired on how we get residents to come down during the day to help support downtown retail businesses. o J. Starnes shared strategies to open lines of communication to all businesses and getting feedback to act on. o Councilmember Morgan addressed the negative feedback received and being able to take it a step forward on what they want to see the Town do. • Councilmember Arnerich recommended the downtown seasonal banners get re- designed. • Councilmember Storer discussed the importance of downtown business, highlighted the downtown events, and recommended looking at bringing events in house to promote the downtown area. Community Outreach Efforts Town Council accepted the Community Outreach Efforts report and discussed the following: • J. Starnes shared handout outlining highlights from 2023 and discussed outreach strategies for key items in 2024, including the Downtown Master Plan, Housing Element Update and upcoming private development. o Councilmember Storer and Councilmember Arnerich highlighted success of outreach on Housing Element. o Councilmember Arnerich suggested condensing email lists to one list and communicating all things happening around Town. J. Starnes shared the Town will be moving to a new email communications platform. • Councilmember Morgan highlighted website traffic increase over 200% year over year. 5 Lighting and Landscape District Update Town Council accepted the Lighting and Landscape District Update report and discussed the following: • R. Ewing discussed the potential draft timeline for going out to the property owners in a balloting process. R. Ewing clarified the ballot goes to property owners’ verse voters and is weighted by the amount paid. • R. Ewing recommended taking the ballot out in 2025. • Councilmember Storer inquired on what the ballot includes. o R. Ewing clarified that each property owner would receive a personalized ballot and information sheet on what the districts are, what it does, and how the rates are being set. • Councilmember Storer inquired on the educational period. o R. Ewing clarified that we can only engage in informational, we can not engage in advocating. • D. Casteel discussed the work being done with the contractor to put together benefit analysis and will bring back information to council in the second half of 2024. • Vice Mayor Fong inquired on if this would be a one-time effort or if the Town would need to go out again in the future. o D. Casteel shared the option for an escalator be built-in to keep up with ongoing costs. • Councilmember Arnerich inquired on a high-level view on what the assessments would cost the property owners. o D. Casteel clarified that the data is still being collected to work out different scenarios. o J. Calabrigo shared that the analysis will also look at what share multi-family housing should be responsible for since they are not currently assessed a fee. • D. Casteel restates that staff will come back to Council in second half of year with analysis for Council to make a decision on how to move forward. Other Business and Development Updates • Councilmember Arnerich highlighted new businesses downtown and the increase in foot traffic. • J. Calabrigo shared that 42 restaurants are among the top 100 sales tax generators in Danville. • Mayor Stepper inquired on the development application submitted under Builder’s Remedy. o R. Ewing proved update on the application and shared applicant needs to submit a complete application which includes easement to access the property. • Councilmember Storer inquired parklets; D. Crompton provided an update. 6 • Councilmember Arnerich inquired on an update for future development and housing element sites; D. Crompton provided an update.