NOVA
Community Forum to Release New Technology Study
Silicon Valley and the country’s prosperity is largely dependent on the future of the technology industry that is now emerging from the economic recession with renewed growth and opportunity, according to the recently released technology study, Silicon Valley in Transition: Economic and Workforce Implications in the Age of iPads, Android Apps, and the Social Web, http://www.novaworks.org/LaborMarketInfo/Reports/InformationTechnologyStudy.aspx. The study, funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was a collaborative effort of four Silicon Valley workforce boards that include NOVA, work2future (San Jose), and San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties, with NOVA taking the lead. The study led by research team leaders — Green LMI, BW Research and the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy — is based on 250 employer surveys and 50 executive interviews.
NOVA is hosting a community forum on Thursday, September 29, 10 a.m. to noon at the Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino to engage community partners around the study’s findings and explore future opportunities for collaboration. Invitations will be sent out to City Councilmembers shortly.
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
New Tenants for Via
Specialty's Cafe and Bakery has officially signed a lease to be a tenant at the Shops at Via (where Fresh & Easy is scheduled to open next month). Specialty's Cafe and Bakery will also have a Peet's Coffee within their cafe. They plan on opening in about four to five months.
Specialty's Cafe and Bakery was founded in downtown San Francisco in 1987 on the made-from-scratch principles of founders Craig and Dawn Saxton. Specialty’s, a family-run business, operates about 30 stores in Northern and Southern California, Washington State and Illinois. They currently have locations in Mountain View and Santa Clara.
Proposed Change in Council Copies of News Releases
By policy, Council receives copies of all the news releases issued by the Communications Office. Traditionally this has been in the form of hard copies included in Council mail packets. About a month ago, staff established a new news release electronic distribution list that sends an electronic version of the news release to Councilmembers at the same time the release is issued to the news media, ensuring Councilmembers receive the releases in a more timely manner. As part of our paper-reduction efforts, staff plans to eliminate the hard copy news releases from Council packets and to rely solely on the e-mailed electronic version.
Election Update
The following is a list of the candidates who have qualified for the ballot for the General Municipal Election to be held November 8, 2011 in the City of Sunnyvale. The candidates are listed in the randomized alphabetical order provided by the California Secretary of State.
Seat 4:
DAVID WHITTUM
Incumbent
Seat 5:
BO CHANG
Small Business Owner
PAT MEYERING
Lawyer/College Instructor
Seat 6:
STEVE HOFFMAN
Chief Executive Officer
JACK WALKER
Engineering Project Manager
JIM DAVIS
Public Safety Officer
Seat 7:
FRED FOWLER
Corporate Vice President
TARA MARTIN-MILIUS
Teacher
MARIA PAN
Community Volunteer
The two charter amendment ballot measures were assigned letter designations by the Registrar of Voters on August 15, 2011. Ballot measure questions A and B, written and rebuttal arguments and the City Attorney’s impartial analysis are posted on the City website at: Elections.inSunnyvale.com .
Public Records Act Requests – FY 2010/2011
The California Public Records Act (CPRA) and the California Constitution provide for the right of public access to governmental records and requires public agencies to make records available for inspection or duplication upon request, unless exempted by specific legal authority. The City is committed to the principles upon which these laws are founded – that of open government and the people’s right of access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business – and makes every effort to provide access to requested public records as soon as possible within deadlines set by state law.
In FY 2010/2011, the City Clerk’s office logged 86 records requests. Not included in this total are requests for information distributed routinely during the course of business, or requests for information or records from other City departments.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Juvenile Arson Suspects Arrested
Several arson fires were committed in the area of Serra Park during the first week of August. The fires caused minimal damage and were quickly extinguished. Arson investigators shared suspect leads with patrol units who were performing directed-intensive policing in the area. On August 5, Public Safety responded to a report of another similar arson fire at Serra Park. A witness saw a group of juveniles lighting the fire and leaving the area. Officers were able to locate two suspects in the area, south of the park, who admitted to starting the fire. The juveniles were arrested and further follow up is being conducted to determine if the suspects were also involved with starting the previous fires.
AB109 and the "Realignment"
As a result of legal decisions imposed on the California State Department of Corrections, as well as enactment of the recent state budget, counties across California are facing a shift in responsibility ("realignment") for state-held inmates and state supervised parolees.
Beginning in October, counties will take responsibility for a certain segment of the population who were previously sent to state prison. For Santa Clara County this means a projected increase of 700 in the jail population and up to 1,900 more individuals in parolee supervision.
The Santa Clara County Department of Probation, with assistance from the Office of the Sheriff and the Office of the District Attorney, will have primary monitoring responsibility over those offenders that are released in Santa Clara County.
Public Safety is working collaboratively with the Santa Clara County Chiefs of Police Association to assist in this "realignment" process. At this time it is unknown how many offenders may be released into the City of Sunnyvale or how this will impact DPS. Public Safety will continue to monitor this situation as the plan is implemented by the Probation Department.
DPS Presents Cyber Bullying Course
On August 18, the Public Safety Crime Prevention Unit hosted the first ever train-the-trainer course for Cyber Bullying and Digital Media Issues. This is the only course approved by the Peace Officers Standards in Training in the entire State of California. Public Safety teamed with Yahoo! to develop the curriculum that will be used in all agencies in the Bay Area and eventually throughout the state.
The training was held at the Yahoo! Sunnyvale campus for over 50 School Resource Officers representing 19 Bay Area agencies. Instructors included members of DPS, Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation, Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and members from Yahoo! staff. The class was very successful and requests are already being received for more training dates from allied agencies. The officers who participated in the class will now take the information back to their agency and host classes for their communities, like DPS is currently doing in our community.
PUBLIC WORKS
Successful Community Volunteer Project at Lakewood Park
A highly motivated group of 26 volunteers from the Lakewood Valley Faith UMC Church left their mark on the Lakewood Park, Wednesday August 10. Their energy was utilized in an efficient fashion as they planted several new trees that will grow to shade future park patrons for years to come.
The group spread 50 yards of bark over several areas that previously were high-maintenance ivy beds that had been removed to reduce the maintenance requirements of the park. This bark mulch keeps the moisture in the ground for the trees and shrubs as well as keeping the weeds down. It also gives that area of the park a new aesthetic factor with the clean fresh bark look and smell.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Home Buyer Workshop September 21
Staff will hold a workshop for prospective first-time home buyers:
When: Wednesday, September 21 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Council Chambers, Sunnyvale City Hall, 456 W. Olive Avenue
More Info/RSVP to: Housing Division, (408) 730-7250, Housing@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us .
Staff will provide an overview of home buyer assistance programs available to the community, including Below Market Rate Housing, and will explain how interested buyers can qualify and apply for City programs and others available to home buyers. This workshop is open to the public.
Fair Oaks Senior Housing Available Now
MidPen Housing is currently accepting applications from very low income seniors for several new rental apartments available at the new senior housing community on Fair Oaks, adjacent to the Valley Health Center in Sunnyvale. To be eligible, seniors must be aged 62 or older. Several one-bedroom apartments are available for a monthly rent of $971 for occupancy in late October. For details and application forms, please contact the leasing office at: Mid-Pen Housing Fair Oaks Leasing Office, 915 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, 1-855-APTSNOW or 1-855-278-7669.
Energy Upgrade Workshop September 22
The County of Santa Clara, in conjunction Energy Upgrade CA, a joint effort of the County, local cities, and the State Energy Commission, will present a workshop for local homeowners on the latest rebates and other incentives available for residential energy efficiency retrofits, such as the Energy Efficiency Matching Grant for lower income homeowners offered by the Sunnyvale Housing Division. For more information, please contact Natalie deLeon at (408) 299-5101 or visit the websites below.
When: Thursday, September 22 from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sunnyvale Senior Center, Laurel Room, 550 E. Remington Drive
More Info/RSVP: Natalie deLeon, Community Energy Program Associate
County of Santa Clara
Phone: (408) 299-5101
Email: Natalie.deLeon@ceo.sccgov.org
Web: http://www.sccgov.org/sustainability
http://www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org
TeleNav Stays in Sunnyvale
TeleNav is currently located in Sunnyvale on Kifer Road. They are expanding their facilities, and remaining in Sunnyvale, at 920, 930, and 950 De Guigne Drive. TeleNav is a GPS navigation company that provides location-based applications for smart phones. The $3,400,000 tenant improvement at their new location was reviewed over the counter at the One-Stop Permit Center.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES (FORMERLY UTILITIES)
Trash Capture Devices Installed in Storm Drain Inlets
Last week, Sewer/Storm Program staff worked with Pre-Treatment staff from the Water Pollution Control Plant and installed 64 full-trash capture devices in storm drain inlets along Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, and Fremont, Mathilda, Washington, Frances and Maude Avenues. Full trash-capture devices prevent any litter larger than 5mm in diameter (the size of a kernel of corn) from entering the City’s storm drain collection system. The installation of the devices will help the City to comply with Provision C.10 of the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP). The purchase and installation of these devices was done with assistance from an $113,503 grant from the San Francisco Estuary Partnership Bay Area-wide Trash Capture Project, administered by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
In addition to the full-trash capture screens, a portion of the grant will be used to retrofit curb inlet openings with retractable hinge grates. These devices will help reduce the quantity of leaves entering the inlet basins and keep them on the street for sweeper pick up, thus reducing inlet maintenance requirements. The installation of the retractable hinge grates will occur before October 2011.
Provision C.10 of the MRP requires that enough trash full-capture devices be installed to treat 164 acres in Sunnyvale by July 1, 2014. The 64 units installed in 2011, plus the 13 devices previously installed in 2008 as part of a different pilot project will treat approximately 94.5 acres. The installation of additional trash full-capture devices will be required to meet the MRP requirements.
The work that has been completed, along with increasing the frequency of street sweeping to once every other week, is an important step to mitigate the trash and debris entering Sunnyvale’s East and West Channels and ultimately, the San Francisco Bay.
FINANCE
Fiscal Year 2011/2012 Adopted Budget Now Available Online
The Fiscal Year 2011/2012 Adopted Budget has been finalized and published online. It can be found on the Budget Documents page of the Finance Department's website. The City's FY 2011/2012 Adopted Budget appropriates a total of $264.8 million in spending, which includes approximately $218 million for operations, $38 million for projects and project-related expenditures, and $9 million for debt service and equipment. The General Fund's expenditure appropriation for FY 2011/2012 is $134.3 million, which includes approximately $122 million for operations, $6 million for projects and project-related expenditures, and $6 million for transfers to other funds.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Creating a Buzz….
The Recruitment and Classification division has been successful in utilizing the interest card feature on NeoGov, the City’s online, web-based application tracking system. This feature allows potential applicants to review all of the City’s job descriptions and determine what jobs they may have an interest in for future employment. Those potential applicants can then sign up to be automatically notified via e-mail when the recruitment is posted for a particular job. Over the past fiscal year 2010/2011, the City received a total of 1,892 interest cards combined for all of the City’s job descriptions. The following are the top 10 job descriptions that created the most interest for future employment:
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10
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Public Safety Dispatcher-In-Training with 39 interest cards submitted
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9/8
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Maintenance Worker and Parks Worker I/II/III tied with 40 interest cards submitted for each
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7
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Library Specialist I with 50 interest cards submitted
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6
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Office Clerk with 53 interest cards submitted
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5
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Office Assistant with 54 interest cards submitted
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4
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Meter Reader with 56 interest cards submitted
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3
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Administrative Assistant with 65 interest cards submitted
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2
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Customer Services Representative with 76 interest cards submitted
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1
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Mail Clerk with 77 interest cards submitted
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Network Security
According to the Cisco 1Q11 Global Threat Report, systems and network security threats are on the rise:
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Software viruses or Trojans designed to cause damage or disruption to a computer system
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UP 272%
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Malicious code inserted into strings that are used to execute a query against a database
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UP 350%
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- Denial of Service Attacks
Malicious activities intended to make a computer resource unavailable
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UP 43%
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UP 30%
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One exception is Spam, which is down 20%.
The City’s network is our most critical technological infrastructure, and ITD is diligently monitoring it and has heightened network administration activities to ensure that, despite the increase in threats, City staff can safely and securely conduct business over the network.
LIBRARY ANDCOMMUNITY SERVICES
Impact of County Library Card Fee Seen in Rising Sunnyvale Registrations
As of July 1, 2011, Santa Clara County Libraries began to charge non-library district residents $80 for a library card. A Sunnyvale resident who wished to obtain a library card at the Cupertino Public Library, for example, would be required to pay the $80 annual fee. As a result, Sunnyvale Public Library card registrations are rising. In July 2011, there were 1,621 new library cards issued, of which 1,304 were issued to Sunnyvale residents. Compared to July 2010, this is a 25 percent increase in the total number of library cards issued, and a 43 percent increase in the number of library cards issued to Sunnyvale residents.
Race to Register for Preschool
In Sunnyvale, five recreation preschool classes are filled to capacity, totaling 100 children, for the 2011/2012 school year. This play-based program is designed to provide children with their first experience in a structured environment. The program meets at Serra, Ortega and Las Palmas Park Buildings. Depending on their age, children meet two to three days per week for approximately three hours each class for hands-on activities in art, language, storytelling, math readiness, circle time and music movement. The preschool classes are able to cover their own direct expenses through the Recreation Coordinator level.
Staff is working to identify other locations within existing City buildings that would be suitable for expanding the preschool program to meet the increasing demand. Currently, another 100 children are on the wait list.
Children’s Birthday Parties
The City has a number of attractive facilities for such parties and the Community Services Division staff are experts at planning. As a pilot, the Community Services Division hosted 13 dance-themed birthday parties over the past year. This unique experience is reasonably priced for the host and creates an opportunity for attendees to be exposed to the Dance Studio, the City’s contractor (Dance Force) as well as the types of programs and services available. The program is cost neutral.