City Manager's Update / November 16, 2023 |
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As we all know, our City is vulnerable to serious natural disasters, especially earthquakes and wildfires. It requires all of us to make sure that we are ready and prepared for emergencies, understanding that it is not likely a matter of if but when a disaster will occur in our community.
In the Fire Department section of this update, there is a recap of a grass fire that happened on the hillside on November 2. I happened to be driving by as the fire was breaking out, so I had a unique opportunity to view and witness the response on site. The response by our Fire Department and Police Department, along with our neighboring agencies Richmond FD and Contra Costa FD, was phenomenal. The fire was literally out within minutes and the incident was over quickly, thanks to the effectiveness of the Fire crews attacking the fire along with the efficiency of our Police Department doing traffic control and contacting neighboring properties in case an evacuation was necessary. There is no doubt that the weather was in our favor that day, but we also benefitted from the proactive work our crews do to maintain the hillside and the adjacent fire road. Watching our first responders jump into action and save lives and property was incredible, and I can't thank them enough for their amazing response.
This incident is another reminder about emergency preparedness. Please make sure you and your family are ready. There are many resources available on our website on how to do so, and you can also check out www.ready.gov, and www.caloes.ca.gov for federal and state emergency preparedness information. You can join local groups like our CERT Program or Make El Cerrito Fire Safe. Participate in our Evacuation Drill on Thursday, November 16 beginning at 10:00 a.m. And don't forget to sign up for the Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) to participate in the drill and to stay informed when an emergency strikes: cwsalerts.com.
I'm grateful to be part of a resilient community that works together to be prepared and ready in the event of an emergency. And thankfully, we have outstanding first responders in the El Cerrito/Kensington Fire Department and the El Cerrito Police Department who are certainly ready to do their absolute best to keep all of us safe.
As always, please take care of yourselves and each other.
Karen Pinkos
City Manager
City of El Cerrito
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El Cerrito is Looking for its Newest Poet Laureate
The Arts & Culture Commission released a “Call for Artists” for poets to serve as the City’s Poet Laureate. Deadline to apply is Friday, December 15 by 4:00pm. The Poet Laureate will encourage the poetic energy of our community by creating and leading activities that inspire writing and performances of poetry among all age groups while initiating a dialogue between local poets, cultural organizations, and community institutions. In an effort to promote literature and the arts in the City, the Poet Laureate will bring attention to poetry in less-traditional settings and encourage residents in their writing and personal expression.
The Poet Laureate must:
- Be a resident or work full-time in the City of El Cerrito
- Demonstrate a commitment to poetry writing, spoken word performance, and community involvement and outreach
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be able to serve the full two-year term as laureate and maintain residency/work status in El Cerrito throughout the term
The selected Poet Laureate will receive a stipend of $2,000 for the one-year term. Please visit
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Accepting Applications - The El Cerrito Creative ReUse (“ECCRU”) Artist Residency Program
El Cerrito invites artists to apply for a nine-month residency taking place at the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center (“RERC” or “Center”). The purpose of the program is to support local artists who work with recycled materials, and to encourage environmental stewardship – specifically resource conservation, recycling and upcycling – in the community through art that inspires people to think about sustainability and consumption.
The El Cerrito Creative ReUse (“ECCRU”) Artist Residency provides the artist with: a stipend, access to materials at the RERC for use in artistic projects, an on-site storage bin for materials, and support for an exhibition at the end of the residency. Artwork will be created in the artist’s own workspace, which is not provided. We encourage artists working in all mediums to apply, including but not limited to, painters, textile artists, musicians, performers, photographers, printmakers, those working in film and video, and conceptual and installation artists.
Eligibility
- Be either a resident of or work in Contra Costa County or Alameda County
- Be at least 18 years old
- Demonstrate a commitment to upcycling and creative reuse
Honorarium: The Artist will receive a stipend of $500 every 3-month during the residency ($1500 for the nine-month term).
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El Cerrito Minimum Wage Increases 3% to $17.92 on January 1, 2024
Starting January 1, 2024, the City’s minimum wage will increase from $17.35 per hour to $17.92 per hour. The City Minimum Wage Standards require all employers to pay their employees no less than the minimum wage for all hours worked in the City of El Cerrito, regardless of where the business is headquartered. Employees who work less than two hours a week within El Cerrito are exempt. Each year, the wage will increase based on changes in the local Consumer Price Index. Employers and workers with questions about the El Cerrito Minimum Wage Ordinance can visit el-cerrito.org/wages or contact [email protected].
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Applications Period Open For 2024 Term Expirations on City Advisory Bodies
By December 31 of each year, the City is required to post a listing of existing vacancies and all appointed board, commission, and committee members whose terms will expire in the upcoming year. This information has been published and is available for review on the City’s website at www.el-cerrito.org/commissions.
While the City has several existing vacancies for boards, commissions, and committees, term expirations create additional opportunities to serve on several advisory bodies including the Arts and Culture Commission, Citizens Streets Oversight Committee, Committee on Aging, Crime Prevention Committee, Environmental Quality Committee, Financial Advisory Board, Park and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, and Urban Forest Committee.
In addition, there is an opportunity to serve as a representative of the City of El Cerrito on the Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend meetings of the advisory body applied for prior to submitting an application. The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 1, 2024. Interviews are expected to be held in February 2024. An application can be downloaded from the City’s website at el-cerrito.org/ApplicationforCommissions.
Open recruitment is done year-round should any unexpected vacancies occur, and any applications received after the deadline will be kept on file (for a period of one year) for this purpose. Please consider submitting an application today! For more information, please contact the City Clerk at [email protected] or 510-215-4305.
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Building Permits Update
For the month of October, 126 building permits were issued; 533 inspections were performed; 84 permits were “finaled” (e.g., closed out); and 154 new permit applications were received. Currently, the application processing for building permits requiring plan check is up to 15 days after the date a complete application is submitted. Permits are available in person during counter hours or can be submitted via email at [email protected], and will be issued within 1-2 business days. Please visit www.el-cerrito.org/permitcounter for more information.
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Planning Division Updates
On Wednesday, November 15, the Planning Commission considered an amendment to the conditions of approval for 11335 San Pablo Ave, 6111 & 6115 Potrero Ave., regarding noise attenuation, the timing of payment of open space in-lieu, public benefit contributions for a previously approved project including 63 residential dwelling units, and approximately 6,220 square feet (about the area of a basketball court) of ground floor commercial space.
Anyone with questions on this or other projects is encouraged to contact the Planning Division at (510) 215-4330 or [email protected].
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Affordable Housing Waitlist Opportunities
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MTC Recommends El Cerrito’s Priority Sites Nominations for Approval
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) staff are recommending commission approval of El Cerrito’s two “Priority Sites” nominations for the BART-owned land around the El Cerrito Plaza BART and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations. MTC's Priority Sites program provides technical assistance and funding for sites nominated by local governments and affordable housing developers.
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AC Transit Bus Schedule and Route Changes
On Wednesday, November 1, AC Transit planners debuted three bus network redesign scenarios at an AC Transit Board of Directors meeting as part of the Realign effort. Realign is an effort evaluating AC Transit’s existing bus network by developing bus route and schedule changes in response to shifting travel patterns. The three proposed bus network scenarios are:
- Balanced Coverage: Change routes and schedules to expand ridership to more neighborhoods compared to its current coverage.
- Frequent Service: This plan focuses on increasing frequency and improving reliability on major bus routes which have the agency’s highest ridership.
- Unconstrained Vision: It would both expand service and make run times more frequent but is infeasible without new funding sources.
In El Cerrito, AC Transit proposes increasing frequency on the 72M and 72, the main local bus routes on San Pablo Avenue, by discontinuing the 72R, the limited-stop San Pablo Avenue route, and reallocating its resources to increase the 72 and 72M service. An analysis of April 2023 AC Transit bus boardings in El Cerrito showed the 72-series bus routes accounted for approximately 70% of all weekdays, and 80% of weekend, AC Transit bus boardings in El Cerrito. Additional minor changes are proposed to other El Cerrito routes and schedules.
The agency is welcoming public feedback on these scenarios through Wednesday,, December 13.
Local Road Safety Plan Welcomes Public Input
City staff are currently developing a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) that looks at traffic safety on our local street network. An LRSP results in an implementable plan with strategies, actions, and projects focused on reducing crashes on City roadways – particularly fatal and serious injury crashes. The LRSP team has completed a five-year crash data review and found that of the ten fatal and severe crashes during this period, seven involved bicyclists and pedestrians, indicating a potential need to focus on the needs of vulnerable road users, among other trends.
Regional Funding Comes to El Cerrito Transportation Projects
At their September board meeting, the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), allocated $2.65 million in regional multimodal transportation project funding to support efforts within or directly benefiting El Cerrito residents and employees.
These funds are from the Subregional Transportation Mitigation Fee Program (STMP), a transportation fee charged to new real estate development projects in West Contra Costa County to help offset transportation impacts by funding regionally significant transportation projects. STMP funds are dispersed through a competitive grant process eligible to West Contra Costa public agencies.
City of El Cerrito staff submitted two STMP applications and were awarded the full requested amount. These and other projects awarded from other agencies that go towards projects relevant to El Cerrito are summarized below:
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The Finance Team welcomed two new employees this month, Jill Du (Senior Accountant) and Wendy Miller (Accountant). Both Jill and Wendy have years of experience in accounting and bookkeeping and will be assets to the City of El Cerrito. The Finance team is now complete with six total staff, including Accountant Alan Chiu, Payroll Administrator Yoko Nunokawa, Finance Director Crystal Reams and Budget/Finance Manager Claire Coleman. The Finance Department is looking forward to a great Fiscal Year 2023-24 and to providing excellent service to all departments and community members across the City!
Fun Fact: Did you know that “bookkeeper” and “bookkeeping” are the only words in the English language with 3 consecutive double letters?
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Administration
The El Cerrito/Kensington Fire Department (ECKFD) is recruiting Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics. The ECKFD currently has three vacancies and is looking for highly motivated individuals to join our team and protect our community. Please apply at https://el-cerrito.org/Jobs
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Operations
On Thursday, November 2, the ECKFD suppressed a fast-moving grass fire up steep terrain just north of Potrero. With the help of the El Cerrito Police Department, Richmond FD and Contra Costa FD Crew 12, ECKFD stopped the blaze before reaching the homes on Julian court. With a fast and effective response, the ECKFD saved $8.2 million in property value.
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Training
From Tuesday, October 17 to Thursday, October 19, members of the of the ECKFD, Richmond FD, Berkeley FD, and Kensington PD participated in a three-day tabletop exercise involving an earthquake on the Hayward Fault. The exercise included a landslide involving 25 homes, a BART train derailment into an apartment building, two soft-story structural collapses, and two conflagrations started from broken gas lines. The participants formed an incident management team and navigated the first operational period. All members performed exceptionally.
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Calls for Service
The El Cerrito Police Department (ECPD) handled 2,523 calls for service in October. To read more about the types of calls the ECPD handles, check out our Nixle Feed at www.nixle.com.
Holiday Pancake Breakfast
Together with the El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department and the El Cerrito Recreation Department, the El Cerrito Police Department is hosting a Pancake Breakfast and Toy Drive.
Saturday, December 2
9:00-11:00am
El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane
$5/child $10/adult
Employment Opportunities with the ECPD
In College and interested in law enforcement?
The El Cerrito Police Department is hiring part-time Police Cadets. Starting pay is $18.13/hr. Cadets perform a variety of non-sworn law enforcement duties, including: providing non-emergency assistance in the office and in the field. Police Cadets are hired as temporary non-sworn staff for up to five years while enrolled in college.
Qualifications:
Completion of 12th grade; must be attending an accredited college or university and enrolled in at least 6 semester or 8 quarter units and maintaining a "C" average. Must be at least 18 years old and possess a valid California Driver’s license.
Applicants must be able to pass an extensive background check, including a polygraph exam, medical, drug screen and psychological exam.
Interested in Becoming a Police Officer?
The ECPD is currently looking for candidates for Police Recruit and Police Officer. These jobs offer an unmatched ability to make positive change in our community and offer great benefits to boot! If you or someone you know is interested in joining the ECPD team, please have them check out our available positions at: www.el-cerrito.org/jobs.
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Update in Climate Action
The El Cerrito Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) will provide a roadmap to reduce El Cerrito's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and better prepare for climate change impacts.
The City is committed to developing a plan with robust community participation and wants this plan to reflect community perspectives, priorities, and values. Public feedback was received on the development of the CAAP through multiple stakeholder meetings, Environmental Quality Committee (EQC) meetings, Community Workshops, online surveys, and in-person tabling events. Thank you to all who participated in the process!
Early Win
The City Council approved an agreement for the purchase of renewable diesel fuel for city vehicles (e.g., curbside recycling and fire trucks) at the September 19 City Council meeting - an early win for Climate Action! Renewable diesel is a refined synthetic diesel fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks like vegetable oil, animal fats, and waste products. It is chemically identical to petroleum diesel and therefore a better substitute than biodiesel. Renewable diesel reduces GHGs with estimates of 65-75% reductions in CO2 emissions, in addition to reductions in fine particles, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons as compared to petroleum-based diesel.
Stay Engaged
The Draft CAAP will be available in early 2024 for public feedback before the City Council considers its adoption. It is not too late for your voice to be heard! By sharing your input, you have an opportunity to guide the development of El Cerrito’s Climate Action Plan. Complete our online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ElCerritoCAAP and subscribe to the Green Happenings monthly newsletter for updates!
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Clean Water Program Annual Report & Municipal Stormwater Permit Update
At the end of September, Public Works staff submitted the 2022-23 City Clean Water Program Annual Report to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The report highlighted El Cerrito’s continued efforts to meet and exceed the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Every year, this report highlights the significant efforts undertaken by the City to meet the requirements of our permit through public outreach, municipal operations best practices, trash and litter reduction, green infrastructure, illicit discharge detection and elimination, and new development and construction review. Notable highlights for 2022-23 included: Continuation of the City’s moratorium on the use of glyphosate in all city landscapes; Reviewing and monitoring a growing number of stormwater projects built alongside new development, which now number in the double digits; Citywide efforts to reduce trash and litter from entering storm drains and the bay; and a robust public outreach and education campaign.
Permit Requirements
The new NPDES permit, also known as the Municipal Regional Permit (MRP) 3.0, went into effect July 1, 2022 and has additional requirements and changes that are increasing the resources necessary for the City to stay in compliance. The MRP 3.0, includes costly new mandates relating to:
- Tracking encampments and addressing illegal dumping, illicit discharges, and other stormwater concerns stemming from unsheltered populations
- Developing and implementing the use of new expansive asset management programs
- Constructing rain gardens and other green infrastructure at higher levels
- Requiring more ambitious and challenging trash load reduction targets
- Regulating more development projects that require stormwater control plans and ongoing inspections
- Implementing new best management practices, standard operating procedures, and reporting for discharges of water and foam used in emergency firefighting applications
- Increasing water quality monitoring region-wide with an estimated cost of as high as approximately $9 million over the course of the permit term
- Increasing reporting requirements in a variety of areas.
City Staff, in coordination with the Contra Costa Clean Water Program and other stormwater agencies, are working diligently to meet the new requirements as efficiently as possible. The Contra Costa Clean Water Program is also spearheading an effort to identify new funding streams to support the region, and individual cities, to ensure there are adequate resources available to fund the required programs. For more information, please contact the City’s Clean Water Program Coordinator, Christina Leard, at [email protected] or (510) 215-4338.
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EBMUD Wildcat Pipeline Improvement Project on Richmond Street
EBMUD’s Wildcat Pipeline Improvement Project will install approximately 2.6 miles of 36 -inch pipeline mostly along Richmond Street. The project will improve operational flexibility and water system reliability in the northern portion of EBMUD’s service area.
Installation of a 36-inch pipeline will begin this month and go through early 2025. For more information, visit www.ebmud.com/wildcatelcerrito. Thank you for your patience during construction of the project.
CONTACT: EBMUD Community Affairs
Phone: (510) 287-7208
After-hours, call EBMUD at (866) 403-2683
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Tassajara Park Bench Repair
In October, the Maintenance team repaired two benches at the Tassajara Park tennis courts. It was more cost effective to replace the wood planks instead of replacing the entire bench. Tennis players can now enjoy a smooth surface to sit on. The photos below show the condition before and after the repair.
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Traffic and Parking Improvements
Over the last few months, the Engineering team has updated the traffic signal timing for signalized intersections managed by the City. The focus of the updates was to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
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In October, the Engineering and Maintenance team installed public parking signs at Contra Costa Civic Theatre to highlight its use for nearby public facilities and open hours. |
Rainy Season is Here
Creeks and culverts can overflow during heavy rains and the City needs assistance in assuring that the storm drain system functions properly. Here’s how you can help:
- If you have a creek on your property, make sure that debris and vegetation do not block the flow of water.
- Keep soil, trash, or other materials from entering the gutter and storm drains, and never pour anything other than storm water in the drain inlet.
- If you have a storm drain grate in the street near your home or business, check it during heavy rains. If you observe a storm drain that needs cleaning, contact the City at (510) 215-4369.
- If you notice flooding by water from the street, report it to the City at (510) 215-4369.
- To prevent flooding on your property, the City provides up to ten (10) sandbags per household or business. The sand pile and bags are available at the El Cerrito Recycling Center (7501 Schmidt Lane). You will need to fill the bags yourself, but shovels will be provided. Please bring proof of address or garbage bill and check in at the Recycling Center front counter.
- For non-El Cerrito residents, please check with your local city's Public Works Department on where to obtain sandbags.
If you have questions about storm drain system maintenance or need additional assistance, please contact Public Works at (510) 215-4369 or [email protected].
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Recycling + Environmental Resource Center Holiday Hours
The Recycling + Environmental Resource Center (RERC) is open six days per week; Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm and Saturdays 9:00am - 4:45pm.
For the upcoming holidays, the Center will be closed on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 23 & Friday, November 24), Christmas Day (Monday, December, 25), and New Year’s Day (Monday, January 1) For questions, please contact City Staff at (510) 215-4350 or [email protected].
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Holiday Curbside Collection Schedule
For the Thanksgiving holiday (Thursday, November 23 & Friday, November 24), curbside collection of recycling, green waste, and garbage will occur as normally scheduled.
During the last week of December and the first week of January, curbside collection will shift by one day and run Tuesday - Saturday. There will be no collection on Christmas Day (Monday, December 25) and New Year’s Day (Monday, January 1). For questions, please contact City Staff at (510) 215-4350 or [email protected].
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October Recreation Recap
In October, the El Cerrito Recreation Department offered over 190 activities with over 1,245 enrollments. There were 1,211 activity registrations, and 542 facility reservations. At the Swim Center, there were 4,338 pass visits and 2,970 drop-in visits. 230 Senior meals were served, and 238 one-way Easy Ride Paratransit Service trips were provided to seniors. 294 students were served across the four childcare sites.
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Senior Resource Fair
On Friday, November 3, the Adult Programs and Senior Services Division hosted a Senior Resource Fair with 42 vendors sharing valuable information with seniors in the community. This was the first Senior Resource Fair the City has hosted since 2019 and there were over 200 seniors in attendance. City Departments including Recreation, Community Development, Recycling, Police and Fire participated in the event, and El Cerrito Committee on Aging Members also volunteered. As a part of the event, the UC Davis Health Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center delivered a presentation about Cognitive Aging. The Recreation Department looks forward to once again making this an annual event for seniors in our community.
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Winter Spring rECguide Coming Soon!
The Winter Spring 2024 rECguide is expected to hit El Cerrito mailboxes by the first week of December. It will also be available at www.el-cerrito.org/recguide. This activity guide contains information on Recreation Department programs for all ages during January-May 2024. Registration for Winter Spring activities is scheduled to open online only at 9:00am on Tuesday, December 12 for El Cerrito Residents and Wednesday, December 13 for Non-Residents. Registration is available at www.el-cerrito.org/onlinereg.
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Special Events: Mark Your Calendars!
Pancake Breakfast – Saturday, December 2, 9:00-11:00am
Boomer Dance – Saturday, December 2, 4:00-6:00pm
Holiday Nutcracker Performance – Tuesday, December 12, 1:00-2:00pm
Holiday Senior Sing-Along – Wednesday, December 13, 1:00-2:00pm
60+ rEC Trek: Big Screen Classics at the Rialto “White Christmas” – Thursday, December 14, 1:00pm
(Adult) Line Dance – Friday, January 27, 2024, TBD Evening
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
- Strategic Plan Workshop
- Recognized United Against Hate Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Curbside Recycling Outsourcing Study
- Ohlone Greenway-Uptown Project, WCCTAC STMP Agreement
- Agreement with PlaceWorks to update the City of El Cerrito Safety Element
UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 (Regular Meeting)
- Monthly Disbursement Report
- AC Transit presentation on draft route changes
- Library Presentation
- Job Description Modifications (2)
- 1st Quarter General Fund Budget Update
- Advisory Body Study Session (Tentative)
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 (Regular City Council Meeting)
- Public Hearing on Waste Management, Garbage and Green Waste Collection and Processing Fees
- Consider Placement of a Measure on the March 5, 2024 Ballot
- Consider Adopting Strategic Plan
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 (Regular City Council Meeting)
- Annual Council Calendar Adoption
- Annual TIF Repot
- City Council Reorganization
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Agenda materials and public comment instructions are available online at
(510) 215-4305.
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STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Please join the Finance Department in welcoming Wendy Miller as our new Accountant.
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Wendy has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Certificate in Financial Planning from San Francisco State University.
Prior to joining the City of El Cerrito, Wendy worked in private sector accounting management and wealth management operations for many years. Wendy lives in Richmond’s Marina Bay and enjoys walking and biking on the Bay Trail as well as traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Wendy is excited to join the excellent team in El Cerrito and support the city’s growth and success!
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The City is pleased to offer the following employment opportunities:
- Environmental Specialist (Waste Prevention Specialist)
- Network Security Engineer
- Nutrition Program Assistant
- Firefighter
/Paramedic Assignment
- Firefighter
/EMT
- Forklift Operator– Part-Time/On-Call
- Police Officer – Lateral and Academy Graduate
- Police Officer – Recruit
- Police Cadet – (part time)
- Assistant Gymnastic Coach (Recreation Program Leader) – Part-Time
- Childcare Aide – Part-Time
- Childcare Teacher – Part-Time
- Facility Attendant (Senior Recreation Leader)
- Swim Coach (Aquatics Specialist) – Part-Time
- Van Driver – Part-Time
- Water Aerobics Instructor (Aquatics Specialist I) – Part-Time
- Water Aerobics Instructor (Aquatics Specialist II) – Part-Time
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10890 San Pablo Ave.
El Cerrito, CA 94530
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