COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
St. Jude Research and Development Facility Remains in Sunnyvale
St. Jude has purchased the building at 645 Almanor Avenue to relocate their research and development facility from the leased building on Evelyn Avenue. The first phase of the tenant improvement project, a $5.7 million renovation, was reviewed over the counter at the One-Stop Permit Center. Future phases of the improvements are also anticipated to be reviewed over the counter.
Kaiser Permanente Opening Medical Office on E. Arques Avenue
Kaiser Permanente is moving into 1263 E. Arques Ave. and plans to use the building for a medical office. A building permit for a new parking structure at this site was issued in September. The $6 million remodel of the existing building was reviewed over the counter at the One-Stop Permit Center.
The Rock Church Moves to Sunnyvale
The Rock Church is moving from Mountain View to 929 Weddell Court in Sunnyvale. The $750,000 remodel of the existing building was reviewed over the counter at the One-Stop Permit Center.
Below Market Rate Homes Available Now
A number of new BMR homes are available for purchase at the new Fusion, Encinal, and City Ventures townhome developments in Sunnyvale. Two, three, and four-bedroom townhomes are available now on a first-come, first-served basis. Prospective buyers, real estate industry professionals and other interested parties are encouraged to sign up on the BMR interest list to receive updates of current listings, upcoming workshops, and related program announcements. Anyone can sign up to be on the Interest List online at:
BMRinterestList.InSunnyvale.com .
General information about the BMR Program and current BMR listings are available online at: BMR.InSunnyvale.com . For further information or assistance regarding the BMR Program, contact the Housing Division at 730-7250, or visit the One-Stop Permit Center at City Hall, located at 456 W. Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and ask for BMR Program staff.
Momentum House Rebuild
The City's Housing Rehabilitation Specialist met with an architect hired by Momentum for Mental Health to discuss the reconstruction of one of Momentum's special needs group homes in Sunnyvale. Funding for this project was approved in the City's 2011 HUD Action Plan using HOME and CDBG grants. The project will consist of the demolition of the existing house, built in 1920, which has major structural, plumbing and electrical deficiencies, and construction of a replacement house of similar size, consistent with neighborhood character. Due to the age and poor quality of the current home, reconstruction is a more cost-effective option than rehabilitation, and will provide greater seismic safety, energy efficiency, and water efficiency than rehabilitation could provide.
This HOME-funded project is expected to be completed within approximately 12 months.
FINANCE
Business License Renewals for 2012 and 2013
Finance staff is preparing for the 2012 and 2013 Business License Tax renewal cycle. Sunnyvale has a two-year tax cycle, so businesses only have to renew their license every other year. Staff is planning to send approximately 5,600 business license renewals to the business community during the week of November 7.
Businesses will continue to have the option to renew the license in person, by mail, or online. To renew online, a business representative can log in at: https://ecityhall.sunnyvale.ca.gov/blweb/ and enter the pin number provided on the renewal form. The system will generate the tax that is owed. There is no additional charge to pay online; the City accepts Visa and MasterCard.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test
On November 9, 2011, at approximately 11:00 a.m. PT, federal agencies will conduct the country’s first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. The EAS is a national public alert and warning system; EAS participants include analog and digital radio, television, cable, satellite, and wireline (broadband, digital subscriber line) providers. During the test, an audio message will repeat "This is a test" for approximately three minutes. According to Comcast, even video on demand programming will be interrupted.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are jointly conducting this test to assess the system’s reliability and effectiveness at the national level. State and local governments frequently use the EAS to send notifications of weather alerts and other emergencies, and the FCC requires participants to regularly test the system on a weekly and monthly basis. However, the EAS has never been tested to see if the national-level system will work as designed.
For more information, please visit these links:
LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Library Catalog is Now Mobile-Friendly
The Library catalog is now available in a format optimized for mobile devices. Most mobile Web browsers will automatically detect and deliver the mobile-optimized catalog. One can search for materials, view account information, renew items, place holds and view overdue fines and fees. To access the mobile catalog, visit m.sunnyvalelibrary.org or scan this Quick Rresponse Code (QRC):
Falls are Preventable! Sunnyvale Partner to Stanford Medical Center Matter of Balance Grant
Falls are more common than strokes and can be just as dangerous. But, falls are preventable! Stanford Medical Center is a recipient of a Matter of Balance Grant. As a partner with Stanford Medical Center, Sunnyvale Senior Center participants will directly benefit from a series of classes designed to increase confidence, improve balance, flexibility and strength.
Matter of Balance is an evidence-based program that focuses on fitness and education to enhance an individual's ability to avoid falls. The program is a mixture of education and fitness with a focus on strategies that reduce fear of falling as well as increase activity levels to help prevent falls. The two-year grant will provide programming, free of charge, beginning in January 2012.
Library is a “Savior in Dark Times of Unemployment”
Thanks to the emergence of Yelp and other online review websites, Library staff often receives invaluable feedback on how they are doing. Teja B. from Sunnyvale wrote the unedited review below of the Library on Yelp on October 24. We thank Teja for her feedback, and are grateful to have the opportunity to make a difference in community member’s lives.
"Sunnyvale Public Library was my savior in the dark times of Unemployment. I remember, when i was moving jobs, I heavily depended on the books from the library. The staff was extremely helpful and whenever i had a request for a particular book, they made an effort to get it to me. However i didn't expect it to have "ALL" the books for job interviews in my vertical. The library itself was very quiet and pretty good place to go study and prepare for my interviews. The Staff is extremely friendly and super helping and courteous. I would give you a 5 star rating."
Community Events in Sunnyvale
On any given weekend, one can travel throughout the Bay Area and find a number of communities celebrating "something."
The Community Resources Division received 36 special event applications in FY 2009/10 for events in Sunnyvale. There were 47 special event applications in FY 2010/11 (31 percent increase). A number of these events take place year after year (e.g. Art and Wine Festival, Lakewood Village Holiday Parade, Summer Series Music and Market); however, the number and types of events have increased in recent years. In FY 2010/11, the City hosted 41 cultural (Chinese New Year), athletic (run / walk in Baylands Park), charitable (Relay for Life), educational (Earth Day) and seasonal events (Fall Festival) during the year. Of these events, 22 were being held for the first time in Sunnyvale.
Community events are an opportunity for Sunnyvale residents to generate community pride, provide volunteer opportunities, support local organizations and celebrate holidays or cultural traditions together. Drawing attendees to specific areas in the City (e.g. downtown) can also have a positive impact on local businesses, restaurants and hotels by bringing additional business to Sunnyvale.
NOVA
Visitors from South Korea
On October 27, through contacts at Pacific University, NOVA was honored with a visit from representatives from South Korea. These representatives, who had heard about NOVA, participated in the visit to learn more about NOVA’s programs in hopes of duplicating them in their country. The visit included an overview of the workforce system in the United States and the portfolio of services that NOVA provides that are unique and tailored to the Silicon Valley community including integrated one-stop services, Promatch networking group, business services and labor market studies. The visit concluded with a tour of the CONNECT Job Seeker Center. NOVA also learned about how South Korea approaches workforce development. The visitors mentioned they are planning to host a conference in South Korea and invited NOVA to attend. The visit turned out to be very enlightening and informative for both the visitors and NOVA staff.
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
Sunnyvale Featured as Cover Story in Relocate Bay Area Magazine
The 2011 fall/winter edition of Relocate Bay Area features Sunnyvale on the cover and in a six-page feature with photos inside. In addition, there is a full-page message from the Mayor and a full-page advertisement for next year’s centennial celebration.
OCM staff worked for several months with editorial staff from MARCOA Publishing, Inc. to produce the Sunnyvale spotlight at no cost to the City. City staff wrote the articles and provided the photography, including the cover photo. Relocate Bay Area is targeted to families facing relocation who want to find out more about their new home town. Historically, MARCOA’s main service has been for military relocations, but has now taken on a more general, broader focus. We have received copies from the publisher that Economic Development and Communications will use to further our outreach to companies and individuals who are considering a move to Sunnyvale.
End of the 2010-2011 California Legislative Session
The California Legislature has adjourned the 2011 regular Legislative Session. The Legislature meets in a two-year session, convening on the first Monday in December of even-numbered years and adjourning by midnight November 30 of the following even-numbered year.
During 2011 Sunnyvale staff advocated on 22 bills that if enacted could significantly impact City business. The City took a Support position on eight bills, five of which went to the Governor’s desk and were enacted. The City took an Oppose position on 14 bills, 10 of which went to the Governor for consideration; the Governor vetoed five of these bills and five were enacted.
Overall, 67 percent of final legislative action (for bills completed during the legislative session) was consistent with Sunnyvale’s position. Bills that did not complete the legislative cycle may be taken up again in 2012, the second year of the two-year session.
For a more detailed analysis of the 2011 session, visit the following link on the League of California Cities website: http://www.cacities.org/index.jsp?zone=locc&previewStory=28680
PUBLIC SAFETY
Parking Enforcement at the Caltrain Parking Lots in Sunnyvale
Located within Sunnyvale are two parking lots for passengers utilizing the Caltrain transportation system. One parking lot is located at the border of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara on San Zeno Way and the other is in the downtown area of Sunnyvale at Frances and Evelyn. Parking regulation and enforcement in these lots are the responsibility of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which provides contract law enforcement services to Caltrain.
Sunnyvale's HazMat Team Participates in Urban Shield
On October 16, five members of Sunnyvale's Hazardous Materials Team participated in a day-long Urban Shield exercise. Teams from 11 other agencies from around the Bay Area participated, testing their skills in mitigating hazards and identifying substances in a variety of situations.
The team first went to a water pollution control plant in Los Gatos. At this venue, the Sunnyvale team was paired up with several other agencies to handle a simulated earthquake. In this scenario, the teams had to deal with multiple chemical leaks due to damage to storage tanks, and performed rescue operations for workers injured in the quake and exposure to the chemicals.
In the afternoon, the team traveled to Pleasanton to perform several individual team exercises. At this venue, our team had to handle a methamphetamine laboratory, in which several police officers were injured due to the chemical exposures. They then had to respond to a chlorine tanker that exploded due to a terrorist act. The final scenario was a big rig accident in which unidentified chemicals were leaking onto the roadway.
Sunnyvale's team performed extremely well, and gained valuable training and experience in this challenging and exhaustive day-long exercise.
Sunnyvale Public Safety Canine Teams Compete in the 27th Annual Witmer-Tyson Police Canine Trial
On October 19 and 20, the Sunnyvale DPS Canine teams competed in the 27th Annual Witmer-Tyson Police Canine Trial. PSO Robin Smith and K9 Colt and PSO Dan Pistor and K9 Koa represented the department. A total of 27 police canine teams participated representing various police departments throughout the State of California. The teams were judged on their performance in Obedience, Obstacles, Protection and Search.
The commitment and dedication to training paid off for our teams. PSO Smith and K9 Colt took 2nd place Obedience, 4th place Obstacles and 4th place Search with an outstanding 3rd place overall. PSO Pistor and K9 Koa took 1st place Obedience, 5th place Obstacles, 2nd place Protection and 1st place Search with the top award 1st place overall. This was another impressive showing for the Sunnyvale DPS canine unit.
Occupy Oakland Mutual Aid Request
On October 25, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office received a request for mutual aid from Alameda County. The request was to send approximately 200 Mobile Field Force members from Santa Clara County to assist the Oakland Police Department prepare for the possibility of protest and rioting by a group called "Occupy Oakland."
The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety sent eight Mobile Field Force Officers and two Lieutenants with approximately 130 other officers from Santa Clara County to assist the city of Oakland. All of the Bay Area law enforcement agencies met at the Santa Clara County Jail (Elmwood) and caravanned by bus to Oakland.
The Mobile Field Force members worked from 2:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. in the Financial District of Oakland. Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers were assigned to protect the City Center which was near the intersection of 14th and Broadway. Sunnyvale officers were also used as a back-up should the primary Mobile Field Force Officers need assistance. While protecting the City Center, Sunnyvale officers assisted local merchants secure their businesses to prevent damage and looting.
Apprehension of Dangerous Felons by Sunnyvale DPS
On October 23, Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers responded to a music complaint in the area of Duane and San Simeon. While responding to the address, officers learned of previous police contacts at this residence and decided to approach the scene by foot. As officers approached the front of the residence, they attempted to speak to three subjects who immediately fled. One suspect was apprehended a short distance away. Additional officers were called to assist with this incident.
Sunnyvale Dispatchers were able to locate a subject associated with the residence that had a Felony Warrant for his arrest. Based on information gathered by Dispatch, it was decided to call people out of the house. During this process, a subject decided to flee the house and was apprehended at the rear of the address. After all the people were out of the residence, a search was conducted and another subject was located hiding under the bed, lying next to a shotgun.
In total, five subjects were arrested, three of which were parolees and one was a "Parolee at Large" (Parolee with a warrant for his arrest). Some of the arrest charges included possession of methamphetamine, under the influence, drunk in public, warrants and felon in possession of a firearm.
PUBLIC WORKS
Baseball Grass Infield Winter Closures
As part of an overall athletic field maintenance program, the Parks Division closes all 11 of the baseball turf infields from October 1 through March 1. While the fields are closed, Parks staff will renovate them by aerating, fertilizing, overseeding and repairing edges to eliminate wear from spring and summer use so they are ready for baseball in March. Staff has placed orange snow fencing and signage around the perimeter of the closed infields to eliminate any usage. However, during this time there are still several fields without baseball infields that are available for use. During the winter months, the remaining open fields can be closed in times of wet weather.
Fall Agronomic Maintenance Assures Prime Spring Conditions at Sunnyvale Golf Courses
As winter quickly approaches it becomes a busy time for Golf Operations staff at Sunnyvale’s two golf courses. In order to provide the best possible playing conditions for next spring for our customers there are several important maintenance tasks that take place at each of the courses during September and October that help assure we maintain quality conditions throughout the year.
Those tasks include core aeration programs that take place on the greens, tees and fairways at each course. After the core aeration of the fairways at each course, we also do a fall overseeding and fertilization to create new turf growth going into the winter that will result in healthy turf next spring and prime condition for golf season.
Upcoming PG&E Work
PG&E has successfully completed hydrostatic testing of their high pressure gas transmission lines at the following locations:
- North of Caribbean between Borregas and Sunnyvale east City limits (including the Twin Creeks area) (T2/T3 line)
- West of Mathilda and south of 101 (T-27 line)
- At Ahwanee, DeGuigne, Lakehaven, Borregas and Pastoria. (T-26 line) Work will continue at the N. Pastoria and the Lakehaven sites to tie the system back in.
- PG&E continues to work on a gas pipeline replacement along Persian Drive. Work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by November 19
Other hydrostatic testing is tentatively on hold due to cold weather (at Ross Drive and Persian between Hamlin Court and Mathilda).
Staff has urged PG&E to keep the City informed on a regular basis.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Survey Shows One, Possibly Two Burrowing Owls Residing at Closed Landfill
The most recent quarterly survey of the closed Sunnyvale Landfill found one, possibly two burrowing owls in residence there.
One owl was documented at a new location on the East Hill of the landfill on a slope downhill from the Stevens Creek Quarry concrete recycling lease area. The City's contract owl expert, Debra Chromczak, also found signs of owl activity (i.e. "whitewash, pellets and feathers") at a historically occupied burrow on the West Hill, but did not observe an owl there during her survey.
The burrowing owl (athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged bird that is a locally endangered species in this area. The owls often use abandoned ground squirrel burrows as nesting sites and have been seasonal occupants of the Sunnyvale Landfill since its closure in 1993. Ms. Chromczak advises the landfill maintenance staff on best practices to maintain the landfill's status as owl habitat. These include keeping grass short around occupied burrows and ensuring that dogs being walked in the area are kept on leashes so that they do not harass the birds.
World Water Monitoring Day in Sunnyvale
Environmental Services Department staff, in cooperation with volunteers from Stevens & Permanente Creeks Watershed Council (SPCWC), organized the first World Water Monitoring Day event in Sunnyvale, held Saturday, October 29. The event was held behind West Valley Elementary School, near the athletic field and along Stevens Creek. During the two-hour event, 61 volunteers (56 participants / 5 SPCWC volunteers) performed tests for dissolved oxygen, pH (acidity or alkalinity), turbidity (clarity) and monitored the temperature of Stevens Creek. In addition, participants were able to do biomonitoring by looking at which bugs live in the creek. Finding too many pollution tolerant bugs may indicate a pollution problem. Test results showed a mixed habitat with a range of pollution sensitive organisms, as well as pollutant tolerant ones. Results from the event will be shared with communities around the world that also hosted a World Water Monitoring event. Additional activities included: kid-crafts, Enviroscape demonstrations, the opportunity to learn more about the watershed in which we live, how watersheds work and what can be done to protect important creek habitats.
Participants were enthralled with the opportunity to become a biologist for the day, as well as the opportunity to educate themselves and their families on how they can be the solution to water pollution. Staff will be working with SPCWC in the future on other community focused events, as well as another monitoring day in 2012.
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) Occur Less Frequently As Preventive Maintenance Activities Are Completed
City staff received a call of an overflowing manhole at the intersection of N. Mary and Escalon Avenues at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, October 30. Standby staff arrived at 1:30 p.m., and had the stoppage removed by 1:56 p.m. The apparent cause of the backup was root intrusion, and a build up of grease. Approximately 2,800 gallons escaped from the sanitary sewer system, and was contained in the storm system piping. It was subsequently fully recovered and disposed of, due to the quick work of Sewer and Water Program staff.
While these instances occur much less frequently than in previous years, they do occasionally still happen. In an effort to further reduce, or prevent, these SSOs the Sewer Collections staff began a comprehensive preventive maintenance program two years ago. The key aspect of the program is known as "zone flushing." This calls for staff to systematically flush sewer mains throughout the City, concentrating on one zone of the City at a time. Staff began zone flushing in the southern portion of the City, and has worked its way north. Approximately half of the City, everything south of El Camino Real, has had its sewer mains flushed. Sewer Collections staff is on schedule to complete the entire City in the next two years, and will then begin the process over again, flushing every sewer main at least once every four years.
The above referenced SSO occurred in the northern part of the City, in a line of piping that had not yet been flushed through the zone flushing program. As crews continue their preventive maintenance activities through the zone flushing program, the hope is that the frequency of these overflows will continue to decline.