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HomeMy WebLinkAbout110525-06.1 1 MEMO From the desk of . . . Tai J. Williams, Town Manager November 4, 2025 To: Mayor and Town Council Subject: October Town Manager’s Update The month of October was defined by more progress, preparation, and connection - both within the community and at the state level. 1. Connection: From the Scarecrow Stroll to the Street Smarts Bike Festival, community engagement remained strong. Regionally, Danville’s e-bike efforts are now serving as a model, with other agencies adopting similar education and enforcement programs. Locally, economic development efforts advanced with Town staff helping Sloat Garden relocate its bulk soil operation to remain in Danville and working with the ownership trusts of the former Starbucks space to position the site for continued success with a potential new tenant. At the state level, the Town welcomed Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and State Senator Tim Grayson, who now represents Danville. These visits provided opportunities to share the Town’s priorities and challenges - including limited revenue tools, increasing mandates, and growing infrastructure demands. Senator Grayson’s tour showcased key projects in housing, infrastructure, and resilience, highlighting how state policy translates into real-world impacts at the local level (Attachment A: Tour Itinerary and Information Packet). 2. Progress: Major capital projects continued to move forward, including final designs for the Iron Horse Trail crossings, the Sycamore Valley Road Improvements Project, and the Town Green & Arts District Pavilion—each representing a long-term investment in Danville’s safety, connectivity, and cultural vitality. On October 30, the Town celebrated the groundbreaking of the long-awaited Diablo Road Trail, a project more than 36 years in the making. 2 3. Preparation: Departments focused on closing out the fiscal year, strengthening cybersecurity, and readying facilities and infrastructure for the winter season, ensuring the Town remains resilient and well-prepared for the year ahead. DEPARTMENT UPDATES Administration & Finance Finance: Continuing work to close FY 2024/25. Information Technology • Launched the annual Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign in recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. • Continuing upgrades and workstation replacements to Windows 11 for improved security and reliability. General Government Economic Development & Community Events • Former Starbucks Tenant Space: Staff has actively engaged a boutique national coffeehouse chain expressing strong interest in leasing the former Starbucks space in the heart of Downtown Danville and has connected them with one of the two property ownership trusts. The site remains encumbered by an existing Starbucks lease with approximately two years remaining, and it is unclear whether Starbucks intends to exercise an early termination or assignment. Staff continue to maintain communication with the prospective tenant to facilitate next steps should the space become available. • Sloat Garden – Top and Bulk Soil: Through the Town’s proactive efforts to connect Sloat Garden with a receptive local property owner, the garden center’s displaced bulk soil division is now constructing and preparing its new location along San Ramon Valley Boulevard. This relocation retains a valued local business while allowing Sloat Garden to continue offering a high-demand product for landscape contractors and homeowners - one that has become increasingly scarce in the East Bay. • Scarecrow Stroll: Nearly 100 votes cast in the first week using the Discover Danville app, which also directs visitors to retail, dining, and historic attractions, driving increased downtown engagement. 3 • Business Promotion Grant Program: Staff continue gathering input from local businesses ahead of Council consideration in November. Community Engagement: Distributed the Not My Kid Toolkit on e-bike safety to partner agencies from the September 12 E-Bike Working Group meeting. The toolkit includes sample press materials, webpage templates, and campaign graphics to promote regional consistency in messaging. E-Bike Safety Update • Bicycle Advisory Commission (BAC): The BAC is scheduled to meet in November to complete its review and forward either recommendations or comments to the Town Council whether to extend the current downtown sidewalk ban into residential areas. This follows the Parks, Recreation & Arts Commission’s (PRAC) recommendation to restrict e-bike and e-scooter use to paved trails in parks and adopting a 15-mph speed limit. It is anticipated that both commissions’ input will be forwarded to the Town Council in December 2025 or January 2026. • Regional E-Bike Safety Enforcement: Following Danville’s lead, the police departments in Walnut Creek and Lafayette have begun publicly enforcing e-bike and e-moto regulations to promote safer riding behavior. Emergency Preparedness & Response • Assisted SRVFPD with the installation of evacuation route signs (eight planned in this phase); alternative placement being reviewed for one location. • Participated in County Emergency Managers Quarterly Meeting and tabletop exercise on October 16. • Attended East Bay Wildfire Master Plan Working Group meeting October 17. • Town Council proclaimed November 5 as Shelter-in-Place Education Day to raise awareness of personal preparedness. Development Services Transportation Division • Brookside Drive NTMP Drive (between Paraiso Drive and Sycamore Valley Road): Design complete for traffic-calming improvements between Paraiso Drive and Sycamore Valley Road. Installation of signage and markings scheduled for November. • Iron Horse Trail Crossings (C-305 & C-607): Design complete for five regional trail crossings and two school crossings; construction underway with completion 4 expected spring 2026. Design for three additional raised crosswalks (Greenbrook, Paraiso, El Capitan Drives) will go to bid in November. • Street Smarts Bicycle Festival: Town staff hosted an e-bike safety booth on October 25, providing education and resources to families and students. Planning Division • The Lanes (200 Boone Court): SB 330 application for 47 three-story townhomes and two junior ADUs on a 1.62-acre parcel by the Address Company was reviewed by the Design Review Board on October 16 and expected to be heard by the Planning Commission on November 25. • Danville Village Apartments (107 Town & Country Drive): SB 330 application for a 200-unit apartment development is expected to be reviewed by the Design Review Board on November 13 and heard by the Planning Commission by year end. Capital Improvements / Engineering • Sycamore Valley Road Improvements (C-635): Provides a new surface on Sycamore Valley Road from Camino Ramon to Camino Tassajara. Design complete; to be bid with Phase II of the Fiber Optic Project in winter 2026. • Town Green & Arts District Pavilion (B-628) and Town Studio Maker Space (B-629): two high-priority projects identified in the Parks, Recreation and Arts Strategic Plan. Design complete; building plan review in progress; construction anticipated summer 2026. • Pavement Management Program (C-610): Design for slurry-seal maintenance complete; project to bid March 2026 with construction in summer 2026. Maintenance Services • Advanced AB 1572 turf conversion efforts between Hill Meadow and Tassajara Lane and began developing a corridor Master Plan. • Mailed letters to HOAs reminding them of creek-maintenance responsibilities ahead of storm season. • Completed grub treatments at all parks to protect fields and recreation areas. • Inspected and repaired holiday lighting in preparation for the Lighting of the Old Oak Tree. • Repainted the Veterans Memorial Building and renovated landscaping along Hartz Avenue. 5 Police Services • The Fall Citizens Academy began on October 1 with 13 participants. • Staff supported the Run for Education on October 12 and continued school outreach through Recess with the Cops and Street Smarts presentations. • The next Coffee with the Cops event was held on October 21 at 8:00 a.m. at Bagel Street Café. • Activity (September 2025) o Danville officers responded to 2275 calls for service o Issued 573 citations, o wrote 121 crime reports, o Took 10 accident reports. o 116 vehicle stops were coded out as traffic warnings. o Of the 22 arrests, 12 were DUI arrests o The VIPs donated 328.75 hours. Recreation, Arts & Community Services • Spooktacular: 258 children registered for the October 23 Pixar-themed event with games, crafts, and treats. • Teen Centers: Danville Police visited October 31 to discuss e-bike and e-scooter safety. • Danville Youth Council: Held a retreat October 3 at Hap Magee Ranch Park to plan service projects and a teen survey. • Senior Programs: Hosted Walk-tober 5K (14 participants), Medicare seminars and Buzz Sessions (47 registrants), and Fleet Week Bay Cruise (24 attendees). • Art & Culture: Melded Metals Gallery Exhibition opened October 11 and runs through December 19. • Village Theatre: Presented PUFFs (Oct 3–11), Wicked Sing-Along (Oct 24), and multiple rentals including dance and musical performances. • Youth Sports: Junior Warriors Basketball League near capacity with 400+ athletes; practices begin December. • Adult Sports: Fall leagues concluded playoffs and championships. • Facilities: 24 indoor and 87 outdoor rentals (tennis, bocce, picnic) kept Town spaces fully booked. That’s all for now. Please feel free to contact me and let me know if you have any questions about anything covered in this memo. ATTACHMENT A TOUR OF DANVILLE, CA Welcome, State Senator Tim Grayson Date: Monday, October 13, 2025 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM AGENDA 11:00 AM Welcome & Tour Overview Location: Danville Town Offices, 500 La Gonda Way, Community Room Meet Town staff. Overview of Danville’s profile—its demographics, pressures, challenges—and preview the topics we’ll touch on during the tour. 11:20 AM Stop 1 – Nova Senior Housing Project Location: 375 West El Pintado Road Focus: Housing Construction Challenges Meet developer Jeff Stone to discuss the real-world obstacles that delay housing construction - including PG&E delays and complex permitting from state regulatory agencies like the CDFW and RWQCB. 11:45 AM Stop 2 – Garden Cottage Program ADU Location: 104 West Alamatos Drive Focus: Increasing Housing Supply Through ADUs Visit an ADU built using Danville’s Garden Cottage Program, which offers free, pre- approved plans to create housing while preserving neighborhood character. 12:00 PM Stop 3 – Alexan Riverwalk Location: 373 Diablo Road Focus: Delivering Affordability in a Constrained System Visit a 144‑unit apartment project approved after extensive community debate. State density bonus and waivers constraints yield only 9 affordable units. 12:20 PM Stop 4 – Front Street Creek Bank Repair Location: Front Street, north of Diablo Road Focus: Utility Delays Undermine Emergency Infrastructure Repairs Visit a “temporary” PG&E pole still in place more than five years after a request to relocate it. Despite repeated requests dating back to 2007 - including during declared emergencies - utility relocation delays have stalled critical slope repairs, jeopardized FEMA funding, and forced the Town to redesign projects around PG&E infrastructure. Page | 1 DANVILLE AT A GLANCE Legislative Briefing Packet Updated: October 13, 2025 Who We Are Danville is a safe, well-managed community of 42,888 in Contra Costa County, incorporated in 1982. The Town provides core municipal services, while other essential services are delivered by pre-incorporation special districts. Receiving only 7.6% of the local property tax collected, Danville continues to balance high community expectations with limited fiscal tools and growing state mandates. Danville by the Numbers Community • Population: 42,888 • Registered Voters: 31,126 • Voter Turnout (2024): 62.41% • Education: 72% hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher Business Environment • Business Licenses Issued: 1,850 (720 in downtown area). • Business Climate: 96% of businesses employ fewer than 25 employees • Economic Driver: A survey of Danville employers found that nearly 70% chose their location based on quality of life, which earned over 90% satisfaction - highlighting that Danville’s greatest economic driver is its strong sense of place. Town Government • Form of Government: Council-Manager • 2025-26 Operating Budget: $41.46 million • Regular Employees: 95.75 • Receives 7.6% of property tax collected • Per Capita Expenditures: $1,058 (lowest in the Tri-Valley) Page | 2 What We Do Operating under a Council-Manager form of government, Danville is guided by its vision to maintain a “small-town atmosphere and outstanding quality of life,” and a mission to “deliver superior municipal services that make people’s lives better.” Since its 1982 incorporation, Danville has focused on the “4 P’s” that shaped its founding: Police, Planning, Parks, and Public Works. With a lean staff of 95.75 regular employees and receiving just 7.6% of all property taxes collected, the Town maintains: • 16 public buildings • 158 centerline road miles and 17 bridges • 198 acres of public parks and trails • 54 traffic signals and 3,519 street lights • 60 acres of median and roadside landscaping • 5,068 hydraulic structures, 44.7 miles of open channel, and 128.3 miles underground pipe Since 1991 – by leveraging state and federal grants with local funding - Danville has invested over $214 million in capital improvements - equivalent to more than $430 million in today’s dollars, or $13 million annually. Major investments include: • Over $220 million in roads, bridges, storm drains, and traffic systems • Nearly $100 million in public buildings • More than $70 million in parks and trails • Over $60 million in the historic downtown • $14 million in bike and pedestrian improvements This sustained investment reflects Danville’s commitment to infrastructure, community character, and long-term value for residents. How We Do It Danville delivers services through the lens of empathetic governance, a people- centered, outcome-focused approach inspired by the book, Reinventing Government. The Town prioritizes understanding community needs, inviting residents to shape solutions, and delivering practical results with an entrepreneurial mindset. By blending in-house expertise with smart contracting and public agency partnerships, Danville expands service capacity without growing its fiscal footprint. The Town follows a disciplined pay-as-you-go approach, avoids debt, and uses 10-year financial planning with conservative forecasts. The result: balanced budgets, no unfunded liabilities, and reserves that exceed the adopted 20% policy - a model of long-term fiscal stewardship. Page | 3 Legislative Priorities Danville’s legislative priorities reflect its commitment to responsible local governance, regional collaboration, and long-term community wellbeing. As a founding member of the Tri-Valley Cities Coalition—a unified voice for more than 365,000 residents across five cities in one of California’s most dynamic subregions—the Town supports legislation that empowers high-performing local agencies through sound planning, innovation, and fiscal discipline. Danville also values its role in advancing shared regional goals while thoughtfully integrating statewide priorities. The Town’s key legislative priorities include: • Preserves Local Control in land use, housing implementation, and budgetary decision-making. • Promotes Fair Grant Access for all communities contributing to regional transportation and environmental goals. • Protects Fiscal Sustainability by opposing unfunded mandates and supporting shared revenue opportunities. • Invests in Mental Health and Social Services through regional partnerships and dedicated funding streams. • Strengthens Infrastructure with sustained investment in local roadways, trails, and climate-resilient facilities. • Supports Balanced Housing Solutions that integrate affordability, job growth, and transportation access. Legislative Advocacy Platform Recognizing growing community interest in how the Town advocates at the state level, Danville is developing a new public platform to highlight key advocacy priorities, track state legislation, and connect residents with their elected representatives during each legislative session: https://danvilletowntalks.org/stand Page | 4 Accomplishments Housing Adopted a state-certified 2023–2031 Housing Element, demonstrating Danville’s commitment to meeting its assigned allocation of 2,241 new homes across all income levels. The Town has rezoned sites for higher-density housing through an extensive public process involving community workshops, site evaluations, and formal hearings. Danville has a 31-year track record of supporting affordable housing through proactive policies and programs that expand options across income levels and housing types. • Since 1994, Danville’s local inclusionary and density bonus ordinances have yielded 549 Below Market Rate (BMR) units, with 40 more under review. • In 2020, Danville launched the Garden Cottage ADU Program, offering free permit-ready construction plans in three sizes, making it easier and faster for homeowners to add housing on their property. www.danville.ca.gov/1058/Garden-Cottage-Program • Since 2020, the Town has permitted 184 accessory dwelling units, with 11 of those utilizing the free permit-ready ADU plans. In total, since 1994 – not long after Danville’s incorporation - the Town has yielded 733 affordable units community-wide. Projects Coming Online: • Nova Development: Approved 50-unit senior housing project. • Walnut Apartments: Approved 43-unit affordable housing project. • The Orchard: Approved 124-unit townhome development. • Danville Village: Application for 200-unit apartment complex. • The Lanes: Application for 47 three-story townhomes and two junior ADUs. • Martin Hills Ranch: Application for 20 single-family homes. • Evergreen Estates: Application 18 single-family homes with 18 ADUs. • CPC: Anticipated application for 52 townhomes with 15 ADUs. Page | 5 Public Safety Danville remains one of California’s safest communities, with low crime rates and strong case clearance. As an early adopter of public safety technology, the Town uses body-worn cameras, automated license plate readers, LiDAR technology, and real-time data tools to enhance response, reduce labor costs, and maintain a strong safety presence despite staffing challenges. Danville recently launched a coordinated e-bike safety initiative - including school assemblies, the “Not My Kid” information campaign, safety videos, educational pop- ups, and enforcement—and formed a regional working group to address youth safety. The Town is also advocating for state legislation to improve e-bike classifications, enforcement tools, and rider protections. The Town is more than happy to share all digital assets – including a video series with the Danville Mayor – with any public agency: https://danvilletowntalks.org/notmykid Placemaking & Connectivity • Completed an approximate $5M Downtown Master Plan Catalyst Project, delivering new gathering spaces, enhanced lighting, upgraded sidewalks and crosswalks, and the creation of Prospect Park Plaza - all in direct response to community survey priorities for safety, walkability, and ambiance. • Diablo Road Trail: Advancing toward construction of the Diablo Road Trail - an important east-west regional link to Mount Diablo State Park and a long-standing goal of Danville’s 1989 Townwide Trail Master Plan - following decades of legal, funding, and terrain challenges. Community Engagement • Maintains a strong digital and in-person presence through multilingual newsletters, Town Talks forums, and targeted outreach • 13,000+ Instagram followers (highest among Tri-Valley peers) • 60,000+ visits to Town Talks since 2022 • 8,000+ email subscribers with a 70% engagement rate • Quarterly print newsletters mailed to 19,000 homes Environmental Stewardship • Achieved sustained municipal water use reductions through smart irrigation upgrades and turf conversions. • Installed solar arrays at three Town buildings and two parks; and converted all Town-owned streetlights to LED. Page | 6 Key Local Issues 1. E-Bike Safety & Youth Protection Reckless youth riding is on the rise and it’s not simply a case of “kids being kids.” Unlike past generations riding bikes around the neighborhood, today’s youth are operating high-powered e-bikes that can reach close to 30 mph, often with passengers, no (or unbuckled) helmets, and little regard for traffic laws. Danville is responding with a coordinated initiative: school assemblies, the “Not My Kid” campaign, safety pop-ups, and targeted enforcement. But without statewide safety standards, local action has limits. Policy Consideration: Consider a legislative framework which includes clear labeling of e-bike classifications, the reclassification of high-powered e-bikes as e-motos, and required rider safety education to better protect youth (and others on the road) from the increasing dangers of e-bike misuse. 2. Fiscal Pressures: Slowing Revenues, Rising Needs a. Softening Sales Tax Sales tax - Danville’s second-largest source of General Fund revenue - continues a two-year decline, remaining well below the FY 2021/22 post-pandemic “revenge spending” peak. Key categories like business-to-business sales, building materials, and general retail remain sluggish as households face rising costs and consumer behavior shifts further toward online and non-taxable services. This softening trend affects the Town’s ability to maintain service levels and fund critical community infrastructure. Policy Consideration: Municipalities would welcome support in exploring ways to reform and modernize how sales tax is allocated in the era of e-commerce. b. Declining Gas Tax Statewide gas tax revenues are declining due to increased fuel efficiency, electric vehicle adoption, and evolving commuting habits. For Danville, this means reduced funding from traditional sources like SB 1 and the Highway Users Tax Account—key funding streams for maintaining local roads and transportation infrastructure. Long-term, this could impact the Town’s ability to keep up with road repairs and upgrades without new revenue sources. c. Limited Access to Infrastructure Grants Many state and federal infrastructure grants now prioritize disadvantaged communities, often excluding towns like Danville—even when projects are Page | 7 shovel-ready and provide clear regional benefit. Unlike in prior decades, the Town can no longer rely on these funding sources to maintain critical infrastructure in a state of good repair. This concern becomes more pressing as communities prepare for population growth associated with State-mandated housing targets. With added demand on roads, utilities, and public spaces, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace requires both resources and coordination. 3. Housing - Missed Opportunities: State Density Bonus Law California’s Density Bonus Law (DBL) aims to increase housing by granting incentives and waivers in exchange for affordability. However, in Danville, most recent DBL-invoking projects received multiple development waivers without producing additional housing units. Of 6 recent projects, only Alexan Riverwalk delivered a meaningful density increase - a 30% gain (111 to 144 units) with 10 very low-income units, in exchange for a floor area ratio waiver. The remaining 5 projects were granted height, setback, and other waivers but yielded no additional units and limited affordability: • Borel: Height and story waivers; no additional units. • Darby Plaza: Five waivers; no added units and no affordability (senior-only). • The Lanes: Height/setback waivers; no added units; 8% affordability. • Julia Loop: Setback/recreation waivers; no added units; 10% moderate. • CPC: Height/setback waivers; no added units; 5% very low-income. Policy Consideration: If the goal is more housing, DBL should better align waivers with actual production outcomes. As currently applied, the law often enables projects to bypass local standards without delivering a proportional housing benefit. 4. Housing - Policy Gap: Land Value Gains and Housing Affordability In communities where land values are high—such as Danville—rezonings prompted by state housing mandates can dramatically increase property value. Yet those increases often benefit the original landowner, not future residents or the public. Consider the Alexan Riverwalk site: • Purchased in 2000 for approximately $7.6 million. • Following a General Plan Amendment and rezoning to Multifamily Residential (in compliance with the former Housing Element) and after securing entitlements, the site was sold in 2018 for approximately $20.4 million, generating an estimated $12.8 million gain, which accrues entirely to the seller while the new developer assumed a $54.3 million loan to fund the project. Page | 8 • Given that the developer must amortize the land cost and construction cost to the project, market-rate rents now range from $2,575 to $4,935 per unit, making affordability out of reach for many. Policy Consideration: When public actions like rezoning significantly increase land value, should the entire windfall be captured privately? Or could legislators explore ways to redirect a portion of that gain to support greater affordability and ensure public benefits are shared? 5. Barriers to Community Resilience and Disaster Preparedness While Danville maintains a strong track record of proactive planning and local investment, its ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters is increasingly hampered by structural barriers outside of its control. These include prolonged utility delays, restrictive regulatory environments, and burdensome disaster recovery processes that collectively undermine local resilience and delay critical infrastructure improvements. a. PG&E Service Reliability Uneven While some areas of Danville have seen modest improvements in service reliability in recent years, others continue to experience repeated outages with no resolution in sight. One household on Ackerman Drive endured 16 separate power outages over a 14-month span, despite opening a formal reliability case with PG&E and following up multiple times. After additional inquiries from the Town, a PG&E representative responded to the resident, acknowledging that the issue may be related to the sensitivity settings on power safety shutoff equipment. A crew request has been submitted, but resolution remains pending. b. PG&E Disruptions to Public Safety and Municipal Services In July 2025, PG&E transformer work caused a weekend-long power outage at Danville’s Town Offices, which house both the Police Department and other essential municipal services. While an emergency generator maintained power to the police wing, the rest of the Town Offices (and upstairs tenants) remained offline from Friday evening through Sunday early evening. To restore power, the PG&E contractor the Town to was required hire its own licensed electrician - at a cost of $1,750 - to stand by during the re-energizing process. Staff also worked overtime to refuel the generator seven times over the weekend to maintain power to public safety services. As of Sunday afternoon, it Page | 9 was unclear if the building could reopen Monday. PG&E declined to reimburse the costs the Town incurred from its own project that caused the outage. c. PG&E Disruptions to Public Safety and Municipal Services PG&E delays have repeatedly stalled time-sensitive infrastructure projects in Danville, even under declared emergencies. In one example, utility pole relocation associated with Front Street creekbank stabilization took: • 18 months (2007 - 2008) for the first relocation following the 2005–06 winter storms. • Indefinite delay (2015 - unknown) for a “temporary” relocation of two poles that still hasn’t been restored five years after project completion in 2020. • No response (2023–2025) on a new slope failure, where PG&E acknowledged relocation was needed but required the Town to pay for their design work. To avoid risking FEMA funding, the Town – at its own cost - redesigned the creek stabilization project to avoid PG&E infrastructure. d. PG&E Coordination a Challenge Efforts to establish regular coordination meetings between Tri-Valley cities and PG&E were dismissed, with senior PG&E staff stating they prioritize “larger clients” such as the City of Oakland. No contact has yet been provided to support collaboration with Danville or its neighbors. e. Disaster Recovery: Funding Delays, Administrative Burdens, Clawbacks Following the 2022–2023 winter storms, Danville sought reimbursements through FEMA and CalOES for eligible disaster-related work. However, the process revealed significant structural challenges: • Reimbursement denials were issued using outdated cost estimates, despite the Town’s repeated efforts to update FEMA with more accurate figures. • Overly complex documentation requirements discouraged the pursuit of smaller reimbursements due to the high administrative burden of creating retroactive time logs and inventory records. • Multiple audits by different CalOES divisions frequently requested the same information months apart, adding to staff workload. • Cost recovery disincentives: While CalOES receives a 20% overhead allowance for administering FEMA funds, they report clawing back roughly 35% of local reimbursements - despite FEMA confirming such clawbacks are not returned to Page | 10 FEMA but are retained by the state. This raises equity concerns about state-level cost recovery practices during local emergencies. f. Environmental Permitting Challenges Undermine Resilience & Housing Delivery Danville, like many communities, faces a regulatory paradox: agencies such as the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) impose lengthy permitting timelines that delay proactive infrastructure repairs, like culvert replacements. Yet when that same infrastructure fails during a disaster, agencies such as FEMA, CalOES, Caltrans, and the Federal Highway Administration may deny funding— citing the damage as “preexisting” and preventable. This discourages prevention, raises long-term risks, and penalizes communities for adhering to regulatory requirements. Private development faces similar delays. One senior housing project was held up for three years while CDFW and RWQCB required mitigation for modifying what functionally operated as a drainage ditch. Policy Consideration: Municipalities would welcome support in exploring ways to better align permitting and disaster recovery policies. Page | 11 Contact & Engagement For more information, please contact: Tai Williams, Town Manager Town of Danville | (925) 314-3302 | twilliams@danville.ca.gov Cat Bravo, Management Analyst Town of Danville | (925) 314-3377 | cbravo@danville.ca.gov Thank you for your partnership and support in helping communities like Danville continue to thrive.