Redwood City’s General Plan is Award-Winning!

Posted on May 2, 2012 by RSCA

Redwood City is proud to announce that its new General Plan, completed and approved in late 2010, has been named as the “Winner of the 2012 Comprehensive Planning Award – Small Jurisdiction.”

This great honor comes from the American Planning Association’s Northern California Chapter, recognizing Redwood City’s “outstanding achievement in the planning field” and paying tribute to the City’s innovative plans, projects, and achievements.

The General Plan is the blueprint for what Redwood City will be – it reflects the community’s values and guiding principles of today and creates a vision for the future of Redwood City. This plan was several years in the making, a process that included countless hours of staff time, dozens of community workshops and input sessions, and numerous meetings of the Planning Commission and the City Council. The result is a remarkable document that will guide the City’s physical development over the next 20 years, and which now stands as a shining example to other cities of similar size, as to what a top-quality General Plan should be.

This award is not only well-deserved recognition for the City staff, Planning Commission, and Council, but also for the entire community. It incorporates hundreds of ideas and comments from the people of Redwood City, who patiently followed the process, became engaged through innovative and unique community involvement activities, and helped to make this a living document, with flexibility to adapt to future unknowns and opportunities, and which stands as the foundation for the continuing work of building a great community together.

Redwood City’s General Plan is online at www.redwoodcity.org/generalplan

Water and Sewer Rates Proposes Increases

Posted on April 16, 2012 by RSCA

Over the last few years, as we’ve seen regular increases in water and sewer rates, the City has also been letting you know that such increases will be continuing for the foreseeable future, due to constantly rising costs of repairing, replacing, and maintaining these critical systems. We want to outline for you this ongoing situation, and the need for the current proposal for such increases. This information and a lot more detail are online at www.redwoodcity.org/water .

We’re sure you’ll agree that no one wants to turn on their faucet and see it run dry, or experience a sewer line break in their neighborhood. And it’s important to have these systems in a condition to resist damage when the next big earthquake hits. Redwood City is constantly working to ensure these systems are up-to-date, dependable, and safe. Your water and sewer rates pay for these services, and we assure you that those rates are used only for these services.

However, there are significant and escalating costs involved with making sure the community’s water and sewer services are readily available and in good working order. When the City’s cost of providing these services goes up, the rates must be raised in order to fund those escalating costs.

In light of this, Redwood City is considering a 12% increase in water rates (about $4 per month for a typical household), and a 9% increase for residential sewer rates (about $5 per month; commensurate increases are proposed for commercial sewer accounts, based on water usage and business type). The Council will consider this proposal at a public hearing on Monday, May 7, 2012, at 7 pm at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road. Information on how to protest this rate proposal is online at www.redwoodcity.org/water .

You can be assured that the City staff and Council fully understand that these difficult economic times are a struggle for many people, and they share residents’ anxiety about escalating monthly bills. You may be interested to know that even with these proposed increases, Redwood City’s rates will still be at or below the average for Peninsula communities, and the community will be assured of the most dependable water and sewer services possible.

There are a number of major regional and local projects to upgrade and protect water and sewer systems, which are driving these proposed rate increases. For the sewer system, those projects include:

$200 million over the next ten years for Redwood City’s share of the replacement of outdated facilities at the regional sewage treatment plant
$100 million over the next ten years for the repair/replacement of the City’s aging sewer infrastructure

For the water system, projects include:

$80 million over the next 20 years for the repair, replacement, and maintenance of Redwood City’s drinking water system
$10 million annually over the next 30 years for Redwood City’s share of the seismic upgrade of the Hetch Hetchy water system, our community’s sole-source of drinking water (in the form of regular and significant increases in the wholesale cost of water)

A little more on the water rates: this year, the wholesale cost of water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC, owners of the Hetch Hetchy water system) will be raised by 10%. These wholesale rates have been raised annually, and often quite significantly (38% last year, for example).The City tries to “smooth out” those sharp, unpredictable increases by approving more steady, moderate increases each year — most often lower than SFPUC’s annual increase, sometime a little higher, like this year — to avoid the drastic “see-saw” range of increases imposed by that agency. This smoothing-out is done with a rate stabilization fund, reserves which come from the rates you pay, allowing the City to keep pace, over time, with the actual costs of providing a high quality, dependable water supply to the community. As a result, we’ve implemented average annual increases of about 8-10% over the last few years, instead of much higher increases matching those of the SFPUC, on a more periodic basis.

Please do go to www.redwoodcity.org/water for a lot more details on what these increases mean for a typical household or for a business, and try to attend the information meeting on April 4 to get your questions answered.

And finally, we must tell you that in the coming years Redwood City will continue to see additional rate increases proposed for both water and sewer services, in order to meet the increasing costs of providing these services. This is a challenge for you, and for the City, but it’s unavoidable and urgently needed in order to ensure our community has quality water and sewer systems.

— From the City of Redwood City

Application Deadline Extended for Four Redwood City Boards, Committees, & Commissions

Posted on April 12, 2012 by RSCA

Redwood City announces that the application deadline for seats on four of its boards, commissions, or committees has been extended. The deadline for applications for the following seats is 5:00 p.m. on April 25th, 2012:

Library Board
Port Commission
Architectural Advisory Committee
Historic Resources Advisory Committee

Residents with a strong desire and willingness to work diligently on behalf of the community are encouraged to apply. More information and applications are available online at www.redwoodcity.org/clerks , or may be requested by calling 650-780-7220.

Serving on a board, commission, or committee is an important way to offer new perspectives and ideas, and contribute to the City’s discussions and decisions on a variety of substantial matters. Members of these boards serve an essential function in helping to manage the significant issues our community faces – and being appointed requires a commitment to carrying out the responsibilities of serving. Applicants’ ability to build consensus, their willingness to offer thoughtful, productive recommendations, and their motivation to be prepared, informed, and engaged in their board’s work are all critical factors contributing to being appointed to a board, commission, or committee.

Typical basic requirements are that applicants must have a strong interest in civic involvement, must be 18 years of age or older, and must be registered voter and resident of incorporated Redwood City. More information on the specific boards, commissions, and committees for which the City is recruiting can be found online at www.redwoodcity.org/clerks .

Redwood City Annual Report

Posted on February 5, 2012 by RSCA

The City of Redwood City is happy to provide you with a link to the Redwood City Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2010-2011.

The document can be found at www.redwoodcity.org/government/council/Annual_Report_2010-11_Final.pdf . It’s also linked from the Annual Report/Strategic Plan page located at www.redwoodcity.org/annualreport .

The Annual Report is a good look at what each of our City departments has been doing during the last fiscal year (our fiscal year is July — June). We’ve tried to make it very readable and not overwhelming with numbers and statistics (although there are some of those!) You’ll read about each department’s key accomplishments, selected innovations and performance measures, some facts and figures, and a look at upcoming challenges and opportunities.

We hope you’ll find this Annual Report to be an interesting and illuminating perspective on what the employees of Redwood City are doing in service to the community.

Redwood City Honors Pat Dixon

Posted on April 21, 2011 by RSCA

Redwood Shores’ own Pat Dixon (known throughout Redwood Shores as the “Swan Lady”) has been recognized via proclamation for her years of service to our community.

RSCA is proud to share the proclamation with the community honoring one of our most respected citizens.

[scribd id=53510726 key=key-jtlrw35x9vdz5lgrdrj mode=list]

The Redwood Shores Community Celebrates 40 Years

Posted on November 23, 2010 by RSCA

Our 40^th anniversary celebration has now come and gone and despite the rain we had a great turn out. If you weren’t able to attend there’s still ways you can check out what RSCA has done the last 40 years and how this area has developed.

We hope to have the historical boards displayed soon at the library for your enjoyment and you can try out the Historical Walk at any time. You can download the walk on RSCA.org or pick up a copy at the library and Sandpiper. We will post on the web site the various weeks the sign boards will be out on the walk but again the walk is easy to follow by the using the brochures or the download.

I wanted to personally thank my committee — Carol Mertens, Lynn Adams. Clemencia Rodriquez, Doug Crisman, Nina Boire and Pat Dixon. Also two people who worked incredibly hard on the event Harris Rogers who scanned every piece of material used and Marc Nix who put ALL the historical signs together and the Historical walk.

I also wanted to thank our exhibitors — Boy Scout Troop 27, Girl Scout Cadette Troop 724, Julie Wynn & Ray Tekamaki from Electronic Arts, Shellie Sakamoto & friends from The Lions Club, Mary Ellen and Jessica Hills and Carol Scola from Nine Lives Foundation, Provident Credit Union, Erica Spacher the Neighborhood Liason Coordinator from The City of Redwood City, Recology and Mike Mancusi, Shannon & Joe Guzzetta, Joanne Bruggemann, Yi Chinn, Kent Soo Hoo and Beth Godfrey from the Redwood Shores Emergency Response Team.

It seems as if RSCA has been a tremendous watch dog over the years for the Shores and will continue to strive to keep Redwood Shores a great place to live. Keep in touch using our website, The Pilot and our sign boards

CONGRATULATIONS for 40 years of service to Redwood Shores.

[Show as slideshow]

— Sue Nix
— 40th Anniversary Celebration Chairperson

To help you learn more about Redwood Shores’ past and present, the Redwood Shores Community Association has created a Redwood Shores Historic Walk that takes you to various scenic and historic spots in the neighborhood. This two-mile walk is accessible at all of its points by foot, bicycle or car, and there will be signs out over the weekend to guide you through the tour.

Those with GPS-enabled smartphones (or those at home who are interested in what there is to see along the route) can also jump over to an interactive tour guide provided courtesy Google Maps. You can click for a Street View of each spot, and check out story text and photographs that explain the relevance of each spot.

Full-size guide signs will be posted on the 17th, so please take the tour and help celebrate our history!

View Redwood Shores Historic Walk in a larger map

Meetings & Workshops On Proposed Saltworks Project

Posted on October 15, 2010 by RSCA

As part of its community outreach regarding the proposed Saltworks development project, Redwood City announces a series of upcoming meetings and workshops, aimed at providing opportunities for the community learn about, comment on, and participate in the environmental review process.

First, to provide the community with an opportunity to become more familiar with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, the City will host an informational meeting where staff and consultants will make presentations and be available to answer questions. The purpose of this meeting is to simplify the CEQA process, and help community members better understand CEQA and participate effectively in the review process.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 7 pm – Understanding the Environmental Review Process
Location: Redwood Room, Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue
The lead speaker for the September 22 meeting will be Whit Manley, author of “Guide to CEQA,” the authoritative sourcebook for CEQA information. This is an opportunity to gain an excellent introduction to CEQA. Brief presentations will also be given by Blake Lyon (Senior Planner, City of Redwood City), Andy Hauge, and Pat Collins (environmental review consultants).

Then, a series of Scoping Meetings will be held for the community to help identify the range of alternatives, environmental effects, methods of assessment, and mitigation measures to be analyzed in the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR). The Scoping Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 7 pm – Scoping Meeting with the Planning Commission
Location: Council Chambers, City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road
This is an opportunity for the community to provide oral comments to the Planning Commission, which will become part of the official record as to what the community feels should be included in the EIR.
Saturday, November 6, 2010, from 9 am to 1 pm – Scoping Meeting – Land Use & Housing
Location: Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue
This meeting will be in an informal workshop format – displays and handouts, staff available to talk about the proposal and the process, and an opportunity for you to provide written comments about what should be included in the EIR. Since this workshop is in an informal and conversational format, and does not include a specific forum for oral comments, the City will only take written comments for the official record. There will be additional opportunities for oral comments to be submitted during the EIR public hearings.
- - Tuesday, November 30, 2010, from 6:30 to 9 pm – Scoping Meeting – Water Supply, Wastewater, & Flooding
    Location: Sandpiper Community Center, 797 Redwood Shores Parkway
    This meeting will be in an informal workshop format, as described above, where the City will take written comments.

Redwood City Thanks Residents for Patience During Sewage Spill

Posted on October 1, 2010 by RSCA

Redwood City would like to thank Redwood Shores residents for their patience during the unfortunate discharge of raw sewage into the lagoon on August 25th and the resulting temporary advisory against recreational use of the water.

As most readers will recall, at around 3 pm on that day a pressurized sewer pipeline ruptured near Davit Lane and Anchor Circle. Raw sewage was discharged onto the surface, entering six nearby garages and flowing into the adjacent lagoon.

City crews were on the scene shortly after the pipeline failure and began work to identify and repair the break. Contractors and specialized cleanup crews were also on site, and all appropriate regulatory agencies were notified. Through the City’s automated CodeRED emergency phone notification system and warning signs posted at beaches, along with extensive media coverage, residents were advised to avoid any contact with the lagoon water. Through a series of valves, gates, and pumps the City prevented the exchange of water between the lagoon and the bay.

After first expecting that the failure was from a broken valve, it turned out that instead the break was actually in a section of pipeline, which required a more extensive and lengthy repair process. During the time it took to repair the break, the sewage flow was continually being pumped into tanker trucks and transported to the nearby sewage treatment plant pump station.

Initially, the City reported a spill of 5,000 gallons which was an estimate put forth within the Two-Hour Notification time period required by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. That initial estimate was, by necessity, made while the spill was still in progress. Once the spill was stopped and upon further analysis of all the data, the City reported a revised calculated estimate of 48,000 gallons.

Subsequent testing of the lagoon water showed high levels of coliform bacteria including E.coli, and so the City continued its advisory to avoid any contact with the lagoon water. Several more CodeRED phone calls were made to residents to keep them apprised of the situation.

On September 1, the lagoon water was treated with a bactericide, with concurrence by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Further testing was showing some improvement in the water quality, likely in combination with sunlight breaking down the material, and natural bacterial die-off.

However on September 2, just before the Labor Day weekend, the tragic crash of a small plane into the diamond basin area of the lagoon further complicated the City’s ability to re-open the lagoon to public use, since there was concern with the potential for fuel and oil in the water. Further, the Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities became involved, thereby precluding the City from making an independent decision at that time on reopening the lagoon.

On September 7 the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department informed Redwood City that the water quality in the Redwood Shores lagoons was safe for normal human contact. The next day, the City removed its advisory concerning contact with the water, and informed residents that they could resume normal recreational activities in the Redwood Shores lagoon.

The City’s investigation into the cause of the pipeline break is still underway, and no conclusions have yet been reached. It’s important to let residents know that the City does have an extensive preventative maintenance schedule for the entire sewer system involving regular, frequent inspection of pump station systems, in addition to 24/7 automated remote monitoring.

This unfortunate set of circumstances is a reminder of how important it is for residents to register their phone numbers to be notified of emergencies in their neighborhood. Please be sure to go to www.redwoodcity.org/codered to sign up, or update your contact information.

Redwood Shores Lagoon Sewage Notice

Posted on August 28, 2010 by RSCA

The City is working with the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department and its consultants on options for treating the sewage in the lagoon in an environmentally-friendly manner. It’s known that sunlight will cause natural degradation of the sewage and it will dilute. Human fecal material is not harmful to the wildlife in the lagoon. This is not a situation involving any airborne elements.

Update: Redwood City Sewage Spill August 27

The broken sewer pipeline in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City has been repaired and reconnected, and is in operation. Testing has taken place and the pipeline is stable. City crews will continue to monitor the pipeline and pump system to ensure that it is operating properly.

Overview:

Revised estimated quantity of discharge: 48,000 gallons
Water testing of the lagoon continues to show high levels of E.coli
The City maintaining its advisory for residents to avoid any contact with the lagoon water
The City is working with County Environmental Health and specialized consultants on remediation plan for lagoon water
Cleanup of impacted garages and site is largely complete

Detail:

The City must notify the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFRWQCB) within two hours of becoming aware of a sewage spill into the bay. Within three working days of the initial notification, the City must provide an updated report with current data.

Upon becoming aware of the sewer line failure in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City last Wednesday afternoon, the City immediately complied with the two-hour notification requirement. The City also notified the Office of Emergency Services and San Mateo County Environmental Health Services.

In that initial notification we provided a preliminary estimate of the number of gallons believed to be involved in the spill. At that time, the City estimated that 300 gallons per minute were being released and that the discharge could be stopped within 20 — 30 minutes. Staff calculated that this would result in an estimated discharge of about 5,000 gallons. Upon further investigation, staff anticipated that this number was likely to increase significantly as the discharge continued well beyond the initial expected stop time. The initial work was focused on what staff expected would be a valve failure; however, upon excavation (which took several hours) it was discovered this was a pipeline break resulting in a far greater amount of discharge. This increase in discharge took place since exposure and excavation of a pipeline is a much more extensive and time consuming repair than for a valve.

On Monday August 30, City staff filed an uncertified initial report to the California Integrated Water Quality System (the State Water Resources Board) with a calculated discharge amount of 48,000 gallons.

Testing of the lagoon water at various locations within the main lagoon shows high levels of coliform bacteria including E.coli. The City continues to strongly advise the community to avoid any contact with the lagoon water ? do not swim, boat, kayak, or otherwise touch the water, and do not let pets have any contact with the water.ÿ This advisory is in place indefinitely, and Redwood Shores residents will be informed as soon as it’s determined the lagoon water has returned to a normal condition.

The City is working with the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department, the Water Quality Control Board and the City’s consultants on options to improve lagoon water quality in an environmentally-friendly manner. Although sunlight and other natural processes will cause natural degradation of some elements of the sewage, the city is actively evaluating alternative methods to accelerate lagoon water quality improvement. It is not known when implementation of lagoon cleanup measures will take place.

Implementation of lagoon cleanup measures is expected to begin by the middle of this week. This is not a situation involving any airborne elements. The city is monitoring for impacts on fish and water fowl, and has found no evidence of any injury to animals in the lagoon. We continue to monitor lagoon conditions daily while we work to restore water quality.

Cleanup of the six residential garages is largely complete. Final cleanup and restoration of the parking area and the site of the pipeline failure will take place this week.

Redwood City General Plan Notice

Posted on August 26, 2010 by RSCA

Recommendation to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report and recommend approval of New General Plan to the City Council

RSCA

Proudly serving the Redwood Shores community since 1970.

Tag Archives: Redwood City