March is gearing up to be a very busy month here in El Cerrito. Our City staff team is ready to go with a number of exciting events, projects, and programs, including several that have been years in the making.

We are happy to announce the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the El Cerrito del Norte Complete Streets Project on March 6, which will implement a variety of improvements for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and motorists in the del Norte area. This project will transform the north end of El Cerrito, and we invite you to join us as we kick off the construction of these vital infrastructure improvements.

Also coming very soon is the release of the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan Public Draft for review and comment from March 8 – April 1. Many of our residents have been highly and passionately engaged in the development of this Plan, and we're eager to share the Draft and get even more input on the strategies that will enable the City to achieve or exceed our climate action goals.

One of the City's values, as outlined in our newly adopted Strategic Plan, is Fiscal Responsibility: ensuring responsible stewardship of the City’s finances and assets while delivering services in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. At the City Council meeting on March 5, City staff will be presenting the Mid-year Budget Update, and are also hard at work on developing the budget for the next two fiscal years. You can provide feedback at www.el-cerrito.org/budgetsurvey.

And we're really thrilled that the Recreation Department Crab Feed is back! It will be held on March 9 and thank you to all who bought tickets because it is sold out! This event benefits the David Hunter Youth Memorial Scholarship which provides scholarships for swim lessons, summer camps, enrichment classes, and more. Our generous community's support means that we can extend that support to others, and we appreciate everyone who bought a ticket, donated, or otherwise contributed to this event.

While these are just a few of the many activities underway for March 2024, as always our focus remains on providing the services that our residents, businesses, and visitors depend on. You can be assured that our City staff team is on the job, day in and day out, doing our best to maintain our excellent quality of life in El Cerrito.

As always, please take care of yourselves and each other.

Karen Pinkos

City Manager

City of El Cerrito