S.Rosa City Council Goals and Objectives Report

Greetings!

Here are the outcomes for Santa Rosa City Council Goals and Objectives contained in a report to the Council at today's meeting.  I'll be working in the next few days to link to additional explanatory materials:

Goal 1:  (Video, Pdf) Adopted the CEQA report and selected project for Courthouse Square unification;

(Map Location and drawings) Closed escrow for Museum on the Square;

(pdf) Completed workplan and cost estimate to remove uncertainties in land use regulations.

Goal 2:  (example trainings) Continue to invest in employees by providing training programs and mentoring opportunities.

Goal 3: (pdf) Completed workplan and budget to establish the City as a leader in resource recovery;

(pdf) updated Citywide Creek Master Plan

(video, photos, pdf) Completed construction on Phase 1 of Lower Colgan Creek Restoration Project.

Goal 4: (pdf, video of meeting) Continue to develop a strategy for future planning activities for Southeast Greenway.

Goal 5: (pdf, video of meeting) Roseland Annexation workplan and cost estimate completed;

(pdf, video link) Presented Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force Annual Report

(pdf of logo) Introduced new name and logo;

(photo, video) Winter shelter approved.

Goal 6: Restored a Community Outreach position to Neighborhood Revitalization Program;

(video) Conducted study session on expanded Smoking Ordinance;

( pdf, profile) Allocated budget for full time Code Enforcement Officer.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Greetings!

Following up on Santa Rosa's recent receipt of their Open Government Task Force recommendations concerning Brown Act compliance and community partnerships, I will be developing some ideas in the following three areas:

Open Data:  City-Community collaboration to provide access to content concerning our city.

Citizen University: Self-paced learning on Santa Rosa community issues.

Communication Plus: Expanded opportunities for broad-based discussions.

On January 27th, the City Council will be soliciting community comments on how best to use its resources to implement the task force recommendations.  Posts on this blog will hopefully help all of us follow that conversation and decision-making.

The Council will also hear their staff and consultant reports on Roseland Annexation, and solicit comments from its residents concerning its budget priority.  We'll also be following those conversations.

Upgrading the S.R. Neighborhood Public Notice Map

Greetings!

Our handy neighborhood public notice map is being improved.  Up to now, public notices have been added to the map as they were added to the City's website.  Usually, the life of a public notice for a specific step along the approval process (temporary use permits at the CDA office, design review application approvals and appeal with the Zoning Administrator, project approvals at the Planning Commission or City Council) is a very short time at each step.  One the notice expired, we took it off the map.

But if the map is to be useful, we should be following the progress of the property or issue.  So we're slightly modifying the way that information is added and displayed.  Chronologically, items will be added to the map (it can hold 2,000 at a time), and each placemark will contain up to 10 links to urls holding information on the item.  That way, anyone can view a large variety of sequential staff reports, blog entries, and social network commentaries.  It will begin to provide a more detailed historical look at our city's proposed changes to its properties and infrastructure.

We're doing it because we believe that earlier and more comprehensive information will improve the possibilities for collaboration within our community.

Let us know what you think of the map as it develops by commenting on this post, or sending me an email (Gregory Fearon).

More Views of Santa Rosa's History

Greetings!

Here are some videos produced by Santa Rosa's citizens in the past:

Santa Rosa, The Hidden City, Part 1, produced by the Cultural Heritage Board

Santa Rosa, The Hidden City, Part 2, produced by the Cultural Heritage Board

Historic Homes of Santa Rosa, produced by Robyn Kasper

Day Tripping, My Town, Santa Rosa, California, by Rosie O'Kelly

Things to Do in Santa Rosa, by Visit Santa Rosa

Location Santa Rosa, produced by Robyn Kasper

The October 1969 Earthquake, Santa Rosa, CA, produced by John Paul Lindsay

Santa Rosa, California, by Superendorsement

Peggy Sue's Cruise, Santa Rosa, 2007, produced by cjhudson87

1906 Santa Rosa Earthquake, Part 1, produced by ShooterDirector

1906 Santa Rosa Earthquake, Part 2, by ShooterDirector

Touring, produced by Downtown Santa Rosa

Where Wine Country meets Beer City, produced by Downtown Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa - The City Designed for Living, produced by Downtown Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa Gang Task Force 2011, produced by the City of Santa Rosa

Nuestra Familia, Santa Rosa Gangland Norte 14 Nortenos, produced by dailiplanet95

Santa Rosa CA Police Chase (after crash), produced by Jordan Manning

Chrome Lotus Fight Santa Rosa, produced by Bihisi Record

Santa Rosa CA Car Meet Limbo 2014, produced by Arti Diaz

Learning about Our City

Greetings!

On April 10th of 1906, Santa Rosa experienced an earthquake which is better known as the Great San Francisco earthquake.  This map shows what happened to our city.

We're all probably familiar with the train tracks which are still there on the west side of town, which are currently being restored for our Smart Train.  But did you know that several other tracks existed in town at the time?  

A street that I often drive was originally the tracks of the Santa Rosa's Steam Railroad.  Looking at North Street, between 13th street and 17th Street (Now Pacific Ave), I understand why the Bekins Storage properties have no structures, and why the street is so wide between there and Pacific.  It was the northern end of the route, and the tracks split into several parallel lines to store the locomotives a night.  

I also see that there was a horse trolley from the Horse track at the Fairgrounds which followed Pressley Street out to Petaluma Hill Road, then north on Santa Rosa Ave to around Courthouse Square, north on Humboldt Street to Carr Ave, and then east to the City Cemetery.

There was also an electric trolley which ran from the present intersection of College and 4th Street out 4th to Railroad Square, then south on Railroad Ave (now Wilson Street) and Railroad and Olive Streets to Sebastopol Ave, and then east toward Sebastopol.

The map also details the blocks and buildings which were impacted by the earthquake, and the fire which followed.  

Much thanks to Mike Hargreaves, staff member of the City's Information Technology Department, for developing this historical map in February of 2006.