Folsom City Council Swearing-In Ceremony December 12

Newly-elected Folsom City Councilmembers will take the oath of office during a special City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, December 12. The new Folsom City Council will also select the mayor and vice mayor for the next year at the special meeting.

The special City Council meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at Folsom City Hall, 50 Natoma Street. The meeting will be live streamed on the City of Folsom website. Results of the November General Election are available on the County of Sacramento website.

Entries for Folsom Holiday Lights Contest Due Monday

Let’s light up Folsom with holiday cheer! Enter your home, neighborhood, or business into the Folsom Holiday Lights contest. Register by December 12.

Categories include:

• Holly Jolly Residence – Best overall residence. 
• Clark Griswold – Best use of holiday lights (residential). 
• Hollywood Christmas – Best use of theme and/or fictional characters (residential).
• Merry and Bright Business – Festive commercial business display (includes window painting). 
• Illuminate the Block – Best multi-house display. 

Holiday Lights at the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary

This annual family event returns for the 12th year with its popular seasonal cheer! Thousands of bright and colorful lights, sparkling ornaments and trees, lighted animal figures, and displays transform the zoo sanctuary with holiday spirit. Local caroling groups and musicians provide the merry sounds of the season, and the Folsom Valley Railway miniature train provides special nighttime rides.

Wild Nights and Holiday Lights is open from 5 to 8:30 p.m. various dates throughout December (weather permitting; heavy rains will cancel). All proceeds from the event benefit the zoo sanctuary animals.

New this year: event and train tickets are only available online; no tickets will be sold at the gate. To provide an enhanced experience for guests, admission and train rides are limited each night of the event and tickets for both are date-specific. Event admission is $10/person and train tickets are $5/person; admission and train rides are free for ages under 2 years. Event dates will sell out—early ticket purchase is strongly encouraged.

Follow Facebook.com/FolsomParksandRec for daily event updates, ticket availability, and potential weather-related schedule changes. Call 916-461-6601 with questions.

Know Your Flood Risk

Winter is upon us; do you know your risk of flooding and the measures you can take to reduce the risk? There are several ways to find out whether you live in a flood zone:

• Visit www.stormready.org and click on Flood Zone Information.
• Call the Flood Zone Hotline at 916-874-7517. Have your parcel number, address, and contact information ready.
• Email wrfloodinfo@saccounty.net. Include your parcel number, address, and contact information.
• You can view floodplain maps at Sacramento County’s Public GIS.
• You can visit the county’s public counter in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 827 7th Street, Room 102, Sacramento. You can view the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and other local flood hazard information. General flood insurance questions can be answered or explained at this location. You can also request details about local drainage, historical flood information, base flood elevation, and more.

In the City of Folsom, report flooding, plugged storm drains, and other drainage problems to SeeClickFix Folsom or call 916-461-6712.

Learn more.

City of Folsom Job Opportunities

Make a difference in your community, work where you live, and enjoy a shorter commute.

The City of Folsom is hiring:

• Assistant Civil Engineer
• Firefighter – Paramedic
• Police Officer (Lateral)
• Police Officer (Pre-Service)
• Recreation Coordinator – Cultural Arts
• Part-time and seasonal positions

Learn more and apply.

Winter/Spring Rec Guide Now Available Online

The winter/spring 2023 edition of the Folsom Parks & Recreation Rec Guide is now available online. This season, we’re offering an exciting mix of family-friendly special events, recreational classes, and enrichment programs for youth, teens, adults, and seniors. Take a look through the interactive Rec Guide and learn more. A printed version of the winter/spring Rec Guide will be mailed to Folsom residents later this month.

Join the Winter Reading Challenge

Curl up with a good book and join the Folsom Public Library Winter Reading Challenge through January 31. Each age group—kids ages 5+, teens, and adults—have a chance to win a prize. To complete the challenge and enter the drawing, simply read five books and log your progress on folsom.beanstack.org. Learn more at www.folsom.ca.us/library.

Folsom Police Warn of Jewelry Thefts Targeting Elderly Community Members 

The Folsom Police Department is investigating jewelry thefts that target elderly members of the community. In each theft, a woman with an Eastern European accent first talks to the victim, then informs them it was her birthday, and drapes the victim in fake jewelry while simultaneously removing the victim’s authentic jewelry. The suspects reportedly travel by vehicle with up to two to four occupants at a time, both male and female. The thefts are not violent, as the suspects use sleight-of-hand techniques to steal the jewelry. 

Police ask the community to share this information with family, friends, and neighbors. The Folsom Police Department encourages immediate reports of anything suspicious. For emergencies, call 911, and for non-emergency dispatch, call 916-461-6400.

Folsom Police Department Offers Vacation Home Checks

Heading out of town for the holidays? Sign up for a free vacation check with the Folsom Police Department’s Citizens Assisting Public Safety (CAPS) volunteers.

As a free service to residents, Folsom Police Department volunteers will check your home while you are away on vacation. The service deters would-be robbers during the busy travel season and provides residents extra protection and peace of mind. As often as once a day, a police department volunteer will walk the perimeter of the home, check doors and windows to make sure they are locked, and remove any papers or packages that are a tell-tale sign that the resident is not home. When you submit a vacation check application, it also provides the Folsom Police Department with your contact information, should the need arise. Learn more and sign up for a vacation check on the Folsom Police Department website.

City of Folsom Earns Distinguished Financial Reporting Award

The City of Folsom Finance Department has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association for the United States and Canada (GFOA).

The city was recognized for its FY 2021-2022 annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR). This is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The ACFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate members of the community to read the ACFR.

The GFOA is a nonprofit association serving approximately 21,000 government finance professionals. Visit the City of Folsom website to review the annual financial reports.

City Employee Named 2022 Support Staff Person of the Year

Public Works Department Administrative Assistant Jennifer Thiot has been named the 2022 Support Staff Person of the Year by the American Public Works Association, Sacramento Chapter. The award recognizes exemplary service and high achievements in a public agency. In her role, Jennifer is responsible for administrative responsibilities, including processing contracts and agreements and managing calendars. She also serves as the secretary to the City of Folsom traffic safety committee and the Sacramento-Placerville Transportation Corridor JPA. She is also instrumental in organizing City Works Day and Folsom Community Service Day.

Nominations Due December 15 for Folsom Arts Achievement Awards

The City of Folsom is accepting nominations for the annual Arts Achievement Recognition Awards program. To be eligible, individuals or non-profit organizations must be clearly related to visual, performing, arts education or historic arts; or must be a substantial contributor to stabilize an arts organization, provide arts services to the community, or actively promote the arts. Nominees must be Folsom residents or a Folsom-based business/organization. Nominations are due by December 15, 2022.

Nominations for the awards should be accompanied with a detailed and specific statement about why the nominees are worthy of the award and the recommended type of recognition. For more information, contact Cindy Abraham by email or call 916-461-6611.

Check Before You Burn

From now through the end of February, residents and businesses in Sacramento County—including the City of Folsom—must check the daily burn status before using a wood burning fireplace or other wood burning device. Wood smoke, much like the smoke from wildfires, contains invisible particles that are small enough to enter the bloodstream. Winter weather traps this harmful air pollution close to the ground, which can pose serious health threats for us all.

On days when fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is forecast to be high and we are all exposed to unhealthy air, the Sac Metro Air District will restrict or prohibit the burning of any solid fuel, including wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs.

Here’s how to Check Before You Burn:

• Download the free Sacramento Region Air Quality app from your preferred app store
• Visit www.AirQuality.org
• Call 1-877-NO-BURN-5 (1-877-662-8765)
• Sign up to get a daily Air Alert email at www.SpareTheAir.com—input your zip code and check the “Daily Air Quality Forecast” box