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For the Week of September 2, 2025
Tuesday Edition
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GIS Technician
(Special Projects Associate)
Are you eager to learn, detail-oriented, and ready to put your GIS skills to work in local government?
City of Orinda is seeking a part-time GIS Technician to support the Public Works and Engineering Department.
This flexible role (about 20 hours per week) offers hands-on experience with ESRI ArcGIS, creating maps and reports, updating GIS data, and assisting with asset management and infrastructure planning.
Pay: $25.50 – $32.00/hour (DOE)
Apply by: September 19, 2025
CalOpps.org/city-of-orinda
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Orinda Youth Sports Needs Your Help!
Part-Time Winter Basketball League Positions
Saturdays, Jan 20 – Mar 14 (no games Feb 14)
Shifts: 6 hours (8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. OR 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
Pay: $16.50 - $24.50 hourly, depending on role and experience
Duties: Help set up equipment, run the scoreboard, supervise games, and be a positive role model for youth athletes. Opportunities continue in spring and summer!
Who Can Apply: Teens (16+, completed 9th grade) and high school grads. Training provided.
👉 Apply today at CalOpps.org!
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Pay for BART with a Contactless Bank Card!
BART riders can now pay adult fares using plastic or mobile contactless bank cards—credit or debit—Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover. (Contactless bank cards will be accepted by all Bay Area transit operators soon.)
As BART riders start using this new way to pay, here are some tips to keep in mind when paying with a contactless bank card:
- Each rider must pay with their own card or mobile device.
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Riders must use the same card or device to tap in and tap out.
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Contactless bank card payments are only good for adult fares. Youth, Senior, and other discount program customers should continue to pay fares with their mobile or plastic Clipper cards—they will not receive a discount with contactless bank cards.
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Avoid card clash. To ensure that the correct card gets charged, riders should remove their card from their wallet before tapping. Riders paying with a mobile device should select their preferred payment in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
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Transfer with a Clipper card. Since only BART accepts contactless bank cards now, riders will need to use a Clipper card when transferring from BART to another transit agency.
Visit clippercard.com/contactless-payments to learn more about paying with your contactless bank card.
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Trivia Night
Thursday, September 4
Sign ups 5:30 PM, Trivia 6-7 PM
Food Trucks Night
Thursdays
5 PM - 8 PM
Summer Concert
In the Park
Thursday, September 11
6 PM-8 PM
Farmers' Market
Saturdays (year-round)
9 AM - 1 PM
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Orinda Teen Advisory Council
The Orinda Teen Advisory Council (OTAC) is back for another year! The first meeting of the 2025-2026 school year will be held in Orinda Community Center’s Room 7 at 4:15pm on Thursday, September 9. Please contact Recreation Coordinator, Spencer Beattie if you have interest in OTAC or if you have further questions. New and returning members must fill out and send an OTAC Application to Spencer Beattie before the first meeting.
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What are Red Flag Days?
Important information regarding Red Flag Days.
- There is No Parking during Red Flag Days on designated streets.
- Orinda Parking Enforcement will issue warnings for violations on the first Red Flag Day of the year.
- All future violations will be treated as if the vehicles were parked in a fire lane.
* Five minutes of active loading and unloading will be allowed while restrictions are in effect
Typically, Red Flag Warnings or Red Flag Days involve sustained winds of 15 MPH or higher from the north, long periods of low humidity, and relatively high temperatures.
During extreme fire risk weather, the National Weather Service (NWS) or the MOFD Fire Chief may issue a Red Flag Warning for a specific amount of time.
To receive notifications, ensure you are signed up for Nixle and have allowed your phone to receive notifications when on Do Not Disturb.
For more information on Red Flag Day, parking restrictions
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See a Potential Fire Fuel Hazard in your Neighborhood?
Fire hazard concerns can be submitted through the MOFD website:
Report Fire Fuel Hazards.
The complaint will be documented and added to their list of parcels for inspection. With over 14,000 parcels in the District, they are unable to inspect every parcel each year, and value your help educating neighbors.
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The City is excited to release the second edition of the Orinda Plant Guide: Plants for a Fire-Savvy Landscape, in a virtual format. This updated version will be in print soon.
Notable additions include:
- A few new plant listings
- A notes page at the end of the document to make it a working document
- Additional “Did-you-know?” sections
- The inclusion of fire-prone species
The guide can help residents identify potential hazards hiding in their yards, and it will serve as a useful tool for landscaping in different zones.
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Planning Commission – September 9, 2025
The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, 2025, has been cancelled. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2025.
Planning Commission – September 24, 2025
Citywide Objective Design Standards - Study Session
Description: The Planning Commission will hold a study session in the Orinda Library Auditorium at 26 Orinda Way to review the Citywide Objective Design Standards (ODS), Administrative Draft, which will serve as the basis for adoption of a Citywide ODS document. As part of the certified 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City of Orinda has committed to Goal 3, Action 3E: Objective Design Standards. The City will adopt multifamily objective design standards that apply to all housing development projects for which objective design standards are required to support the development of Orinda as an attractive and walkable community.
Public comments and inquiries may be submitted to Principal Planner Christine Thomson at cthomson@cityoforinda.org
City Council – September 30, 2025
Plan Orinda Rezoning Hearing – September 30, 2025
The City Council will hold a public hearing in the Orinda Library Auditorium at 26 Orinda Way regarding a General Plan Amendment, General Plan Map Amendment, Zoning Text Amendment, and Zoning Map Amendment to implement actions as part of the certified 6th Cycle Housing Element that was adopted by the City Council on January 31, 2023. The amendments would result in rezoning the following sites identified in the 6th Cycle Housing Element:
- Twenty-six (26) Downtown Commercial and Downtown Office sites, rezoned to Downtown Core – Thirty dwelling units per acre, Downtown Core – Fifty-five dwelling units per acre, and Downtown General, to allow mixed-use multifamily residential development in addition to already-permitted commercial and office uses; and
- Five (5) Housing Element Opportunity Sites located outside of Downtown, which include undeveloped portions of properties owned by religious institutions, an undeveloped portion of the Miramonte High School campus, and the Caltrans Gateway site, rezoned to Residential High Density to allow for multifamily residential development.
This proposal includes amendments to the Land Use Chapter of the General Plan to introduce four new land use designations in support of the proposed rezonings, amendments to Title 17, Zoning, of the Orinda Municipal Code (OMC), and adoption of the Objective Design Standards for Multifamily Residential Housing in the Downtown Core and Downtown General Zoning Districts. OMC Title 17 and Zoning Map amendments include the establishment of five new zoning districts and their associated regulations, as well as clarifying edits to sections regulating development in the existing Downtown Commercial and Downtown General zoning districts.
For more information, view the full notice at
https://cityoforinda.box.com/v/CC-Notice-September-16
Public comments and inquiries may be submitted to Associate Planner Darin Hughes at dhughes@cityoforinda.org
City Council – October 7, 2025
Citywide Objective Design Standards - Study Session
Description: The Planning Commission will hold a study session in the Orinda Library Auditorium at 26 Orinda Way to review the Citywide Objective Design Standards (ODS), Administrative Draft, which will serve as the basis for adoption of a Citywide ODS document. As part of the certified 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City of Orinda has committed to Goal 3, Action 3E: Objective Design Standards. The City will adopt multifamily objective design standards that apply to all housing development projects for which objective design standards are required to support the development of Orinda as an attractive and walkable community.
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The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is excited to share new Countywide Transportation Plan outreach materials with you. This phase 2 survey, introduces the Transformative Visions for Contra Costa and asks for the public's input on strategies to achieve these visions. Accompanying this is the new 3-D Online Open House.
Please take a moment to explore the open house - it's a fun and interactive space. As a thank you, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card!
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Wildcat Canyon Road Slope Failure Repair Project
Contra Costa County Public Works began construction on Wildcat Canyon Road on Monday, August 11 and the work will run through December 2025 for the Slope Failure Repair Project, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will occur between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday (excluding holidays), weather permitting.
Work is occurring approximately 500 feet west of the intersection with San Pablo Dam Road. Wildcat Canyon Road will remain fully closed to all users between San Pablo Dam Road and Inspiration Point during construction, 24 hours per day. Message boards are alerting drivers about the work.
This project repairs an embankment failure and reconstructs the roadway to restore two-way traffic to a portion of Wildcat Canyon Road. Funding for this project is provided by Federal Emergency Relief Funds and Local Road Funds. To learn more information about this project, visit: Wildcat Canyon Road Slope Failure Repair | Contra Costa County, CA Official Website
Work Area Map
| | Community Information, Events, and Activities | | |
RecycleSmart and Republic Services will award a $3,000 community waste reduction grant to a project in the RecycleSmart service area! Applications are due October 10, 2025. To learn more and apply visit www.ContraCostaRecycles.com. Projects must be related to waste prevention, recycling, composting, or other waste reduction initiatives.
The winner will be selected based on public voting, by Central Contra Costa residents, from November 1-30th in conjunction with our recycling pledge!
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Linda Smith
City Manager
We would like to hear from you!
Send your comments or questions to:
publicinfo@cityoforinda.org
| This is an Official Publication of the City of Orinda | | | | |
