HUMAN RESOURCES

Workers’ Compensation Legislation

October 9, 2011 was Governor Brown’s last day to take action on a number of bills. The Governor signed into law and vetoed a number of bills related to workers’ compensation with impact to public entities. One important bill signed by the Governor was AB 378, which will limit reimbursements for compound medications. Physicians are increasingly prescribing compound medications, and this will help reduce workers’ compensation medical costs. A critical veto was AB 947. AB 947 would have increased the limit on temporary disability benefits from 104 weeks to 240 weeks in certain situations involving recovery from surgery. The 104-week cap was one of the cornerstones of the 2004 workers’ compensation reforms, and this change would have been costly to employers.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Bay Area Digital Government Summit

The annual Bay Area Digital Government Summit was held on November 10 in Foster City. This day-long, free conference was open to all IT personnel from local government agencies and geared towards discussing technology trends, industry best practices and other relevant IT issues. This years’ conference was well attended and focused on cloud computing, mobile technologies and applications, and cyber/network security. One of the featured guest speakers was Anna Brannen, Deputy Secretary of Policy for the California Technology Agency. She spoke about the vision of enterprise IT for the State of California including strategic planning, policies and standards, project oversight and the delivery of IT services. ITD will present executive briefings to ELT over the next several months starting with enterprise security and mobile technologies and applications.

City Cellular Phone Rate Adjustments

After a review of the City’s contracted mobile and blackberry services, ITD identified less expensive per-minute rate plans for 92 percent of the City’s cellular and Blackberry devices. The new plans went into effect in September resulting in achieved savings.

LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

eBook Checkouts Are on the Rise

Sunnyvale Library eBooks checkouts are expected to almost double this year when compared to last year. Though eBooks have been available at the Library for many years, it was only in September 2011 that many of the eBooks became compatible with Amazon’s Kindle devices. As a result, many users are enjoying the convenience of checking a book out from the Library and having it instantly appear on their Kindle. The Library is averaging about 25 Kindle-compatible eBook checkouts per day.

Sunnyvale Senior Center Serves Annual Thanksgiving Meal

Without family in the area or the ability to travel out of town, many local seniors face the prospect of spending the holidays alone. The Sunnyvale Senior Center provided 163 seniors with the opportunity to savor the joys of the holiday by hosting a traditional Thanksgiving feast on Friday, November 11.The afternoon included entertainment by The Singing Children and Entertainers Choir.

Community Kidz Camp Wins Statewide Honor

Community Kidz Camp, coordinated by the Community Services staff, was recently granted the "Outstanding Stormwater News, Information, Outreach and Media Program" award from the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) for the development and implementation of Sunnyvale’s Earth Care Kidz program.

The 2011 Community Kidz Camp was offered in partnership with staff from the Environmental Services Department (Water Pollution Control Plant, Environmental Outreach and Solid Waste Recycling Program). The Environmental Services Department developed the Earth Care Kidz program to bring more awareness to environmental concerns in the community by involving local youth in fun, relevant activities.

Fifty 2nd through 5th grade students from the Columbia Neighborhood service area participated in the camp.

NOVA

California Employment Figures Released

The state unemployment figures were released for October and the unemployment rate for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that includes NOVA was 9.5 percent, down from a revised 9.6 percent in September, with 3,400 jobs added to reach a total of 891,800 jobs: educational services added 5,300 jobs, higher education added 2,700 jobs and local public schools added 2,600 jobs; leisure and hospitality added 500 jobs; construction added 400 jobs; computer and electronic products added 700 jobs; and manufacturing (-1,600 jobs) and retail (-800 jobs) both lost jobs. The state unemployment rate was 11.2 percent (unadjusted), down from an adjusted rate of 11.9 percent in September; the City of Sunnyvale’s unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, down from 8.2 percent in September. For more information about the latest employment report, please visit the California Employment Development Department website, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov .

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

The Habit Grill

The Habit Grill, a 40-year-old Santa Barbara-based chain, will open its first Silicon Valley location in Sunnyvale. The Habit Grill will be located in the Peet's shopping center (El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Avenue).  They recently signed a lease for about 2,000 square feet.  The Habit Grill has locations in Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, and San Diego. 

Broadcast Control Room Reconstruction Moving Forward

OCM and ITD staff have met with TV Magic, the designers of the new KSUN Control Room facility, to finalize remaining questions on equipment design elements. TV Magic is planning to start ordering the broadcast equipment for the facility next week. The new Control Room will be HD-capable and will feature high-definition video on new 70-inch broadcast monitors in Council Chambers. The monitors will replace the existing 45-inch monitors and will present much sharper video, making it easier to watch presentations.

The construction schedule for the Control Room will be set once equipment orders are confirmed. When the reconstruction is finished, we will finally be in a position to broaden our programming opportunities on KSUN2 (Channel 26) to include new community-based programs.

Update of Council Policy Manual

Now that the City’s new consolidated General Plan is completed, staff will update the Council Policy Manual accordingly. The revised manual will not include the policies that are now incorporated in the General Plan. Additionally, the organization of the Council Policy Manual will be reviewed to ensure that policies are grouped logically in well-defined sections reflecting the breadth of City business.  Some renumbering will also be done to omit gaps that would otherwise occur given the transfer of many policies into the General Plan. This project is expected to be completed by March. Until the project is complete, the Council Policy Manual will remain posted on the City’s website in its current format.

PUBLIC SAFETY

History and Status of Code Violations for Balsam Avenue Residence

There have been code violations at a residence on Balsam Avenue that date back to 1997. Neighborhood Preservation (NP) abated several property maintenance violations in 2003 and again in 2005. In July 2011, NP opened a case based upon violations that included overgrown vegetation, a   pile of tree trimmings left in the front yard, a tree limb hanging over the sidewalk, and junk and debris in public view. The property owner made a marginal attempt to correct the violations. Due to the history of chronic violations, and the lack of compliance by the owner, staff proceeded with an abatement hearing. The property owner was notified of the hearing but failed to appear. NP presented its case to the Hearing Officer who subsequently ordered the property to be abated.

By January 2012, NP will conduct a thorough abatement of the property. Council’s passage of the four new ordinance amendments at the November 29 Council meeting will assist NP staff in improving the physical appearance of the property. The abatement contractor hired by the City will correct the aforementioned violations and replace all of the boards on the windows and paint them to match the color of the house. The cost of the abatement will be charged to the property owner.

Sunnyvale Lends a Hand at Three-Alarm Apartment Fire

On November 26, at 5:56 p.m., Sunnyvale DPS received a mutual aid request from County Fire on a reported apartment fire at 21230 Homestead (next to Homestead High School).  Personnel from Fire Station 3 responded.  Upon arrival, flames had already vented through the roof of a 16-unit, two-story building within the apartment complex.  The fire quickly became a three-alarm fire.  The Sunnyvale crew was assigned as the ventilation crew with a truck company from County Fire.  Sunnyvale and County Fire crew laddered the building and proceeded to cut the roof in an attempt to ventilate and stop the spread of the fire, which was running through the common attic.  During the firefighting operation, a portion of the roof collapsed.  Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident.  The fire ended up destroying eight apartments. 

San Jose Bike Party Returns to Sunnyvale

For the past several years, the San Jose Bike Party (SJBP) has hosted a 20+ mile bike route in various parts of the Santa Clara County.  The purpose of these events are to encourage bicycle riding, but they do not consider themselves "critical mass" and they are not trying to disrupt traffic flow or intentionally trying to violate the law.  However, the number of bicyclists can range between 500 and 3,000 people depending on the weather and type of event.  

While the majority of people who participate are well meaning, our roadways are not designed to support this many people at one time.  Sunnyvale DPS has partnered with several allied agencies which include motor units from CHP, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Mountain View and Santa Clara County to assist each other in a mutual aid capacity when any of these jurisdictions are affected.  Motor units ensure lanes of traffic remain open and bicyclists obey the law.  Last Friday night, the SJBP had a 19-mile route which affected Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos and Cupertino.  At the beginning of this event, there were an estimated 1,500 riders.  Because this ride was particularly dangerous due to the rain and darkness, 12 motor units from various agencies worked together to provide a safe passage for bicyclists and motor vehicles.  There were no reported injury accidents.

Operation "Second Chance"

On Thursday, December 1, Public Safety, in cooperation with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and all other Santa Clara County law enforcement agencies, will be implementing a special month-long program in which individuals with non-violent misdemeanor and traffic warrants can receive a citation with a new court date, in lieu of being booked into the County Jail.

Operation Second Chance 2011 will begin on December 1 and run through December 31.  Individuals can go toany Santa Clara County law enforcement agency to receive their warrant citation, which will require a new "Promise to Appear" court date.  Operation Second Chance 2011 is directed towards all misdemeanor warrants, no matter what the bail is, including those warrants stamped "No Cite and Release" and "No Bail".

Felony warrants and any warrant involving violence do not qualify for this program; however, subjects with these types of warrants are encouraged take this opportunity to turn themselves in so they can take care of their matter in court.

This program has been tremendously successful over the past six years. More than 2,100 people have taken advantage of the program and avoided spending the holidays in jail by self-surrendering.

PUBLIC WORKS

Canada Goose Patrol Back at Sunnyvale Golf Course

Over the past several months there has been a noticeable increase in the population of Canada Geese at Sunnyvale Golf Course. The geese are attracted by the wide expanses of turf at the golf course and the large ornamental ponds. While most golfers may find a few geese acceptable, problems develop as local flocks grow in number. Some problems include over-grazed turf areas (very thin and muddy turf), accumulations of droppings and feathers on putting greens, nutrient loading of ponds, public health concerns and aggressive behavior by nesting birds.

Two factors have contributed to this recent growing population: the customary annual migration and the temporary loss of services of the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist who had been assigned to discourage the geese from taking up residence at the course. With the nearby airfield at Moffett Field, flocks of geese can present a significant danger to aircraft using the landing strips. Officials at Moffett Field are required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make every effort possible to keep geese from gathering within 10,000 feet of the airfield in order to provide safe conditions for aircraft.

The Parks Division is happy to report that the biologist is now back making regular visits at Sunnyvale Golf Course and golfers should start seeing reduced goose activity with the winter months ahead.

Keeping the Heart of the City Clean!

One of the City’s great weekly events, the Sunnyvale Farmer’s Market, is always prepped and fresh in the early hours, welcoming discerning shoppers to Historic Murphy Avenue. Farmer’s Market visitors are looking for healthy foods and Murphy Avenue is a great showcase for the organic vegetables and tasty tidbits. Also, as folks traverse the City, Parks employees may be spotted in their green uniforms maintaining medians, sprucing up schools, beautifying Baylands, cleaning at City Hall or the Community Center, maintaining Murphy Avenue, or a favorite Sunnyvale park!

Winter Shelter Opened for Season

The Countywide Cold Weather Shelter Program, funded by the County of Santa Clara and operated by EHC LifeBuilders, opened for this winter season on Monday, November 28 at the Sunnyvale Armory.  This program provides a warm bed for the night and two meals a day to homeless veterans, youth and other individuals.  The shelter operates every night from the Monday after Thanksgiving through the end of March, funded by the County of Santa Clara and various funding agencies.  This program also provides two additional shelters in Gilroy and San Jose to meet county residents' needs for emergency shelter. 

Orchard Gardens Apartments Plumbing Upgrade

The Orchard Gardens apartment complex, owned and operated by nonprofit First Community Housing, was awarded a CDBG rehabilitation loan of $50,000 as part of the City's 2011 HUD Action Plan to replace their aged and failing plumbing system.  Staff is working with First Community staff to finalize the scope of work, project budget, and loan documents.  This property has 62 apartments currently occupied by lower-income households with a total of 185 residents.  The project will replace the existing galvanized plumbing with copper pipes, and replace interior finishes and faucets.  Staff is currently reviewing the bids and construction contracts to ensure that all of the federal CDBG requirements are included.  Staff expects this project to be completed by spring 2012.

Below Market Rate (BMR) Housing News

Staff recently updated the BMR Home Ownership Program Guidelines to be more user-friendly and to better reflect current administrative practices.  The prior guidelines focused primarily on detailed administrative procedures related to managing an extensive waiting list which has proven to be unnecessary in the current real estate market.  Currently the BMR homes are made available to eligible and interested buyers on a first-come, first-served basis.  The guidelines allow staff to establish a waiting list at any point in the future if warranted by demand in excess of supply.  The new guidelines also include slightly stricter underwriting criteria to reduce the risk of foreclosure, which can lead to loss of the BMR units from the program, while still providing home ownership opportunities that are accessible and affordable to lower and moderate income home buyers.  The new guidelines are available online at: BMR.InSunnyvale.com .

Annual Monitoring of CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Borrowers

Staff has sent out an annual compliance monitoring letter to all borrowers with outstanding Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) owner-occupied housing rehabilitation loans. This process ensures that borrowers continue to occupy the home as their primary residence, payments are collected on loans that are due, repayment plans are set up upon request for those that wish or are required to make monthly payments, and deferral of payments is approved for those that qualify.  So far as a result of this letter, staff has collected over $60,000 in loan payments, and anticipates receiving additional payments in the next month or two.  Payments received are returned to the City's CDBG fund to be available for funding additional CDBG rehabilitation loans and other CDBG activities, pursuant to the City's Action Plan.

Peery Park Pending Planning Applications

Applications have been submitted for redevelopment of two sites in the Peery Park area with new Class A office buildings.  At 580 North Mary Avenue, which is currently occupied by the Post Office, the property owner proposes to redevelop the site with a new five-story, 124,000 square foot office building with a 1.5-story parking garage resulting in approximately 55 percent FAR.  A LEED Gold design is proposed.  The application is tentatively scheduled to be considered by the Planning Commission in January and by the City Council in February. On a vacant site located at 307-309 North Pastoria Avenue, the same owner, John Arrillaga, is proposing a new three-story, 71,700 square foot office building resulting in approximately 45 percent FAR.  The project will use the Green Building incentive for LEED Gold design to achieve the requested FAR through a staff-level design review process (no public hearing required).  For both proposals, Planning and Building are coordinating to facilitate early submittal of building permit plan checks.  This will assist the developer in delivering the completed buildings in an expedited fashion to meet the needs of their proposed tenants. Building permits would not be issued unless the applications are approved.

Post Office at Mary and Maude

The Post Office plans to relocate to an alternative site in late spring 2012. Planning and Economic Development staff are working with the post office personnel to identify suitable sites and to assist the Post Office in the relocation efforts.

Other Development Interest

Community Development staff has had numerous inquiries about properties along the Mathilda corridor. There is interest in redeveloping properties with Class A office buildings for sites currently zoned 70 percent – 100 percent FAR as well as sites with standard 35 percent base zoning. Several of the developers have inquired about a future "Peery Park Specific Plan" with tentative interest in private funding for the project.

Juniper Networks Update

Juniper Networks has received building permits for two eight-story, high-rise buildings on Innovation Way. They have started to submit the package of interior improvements for one building and will be submitting the remainder of the interior in the near future.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Update

Construction at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation site at 301 Old San Francisco Road has been going on for about six months. To date the work has consisted of excavation and construction of the two levels of underground parking, which is not very visible from the street level. However, that will soon change as the structural steel for the three-story office building is scheduled to be erected in December.

NetApp Submits Applications for Three Sites in Moffett Park

NetApp, a major Sunnyvale business, has recently submitted applications for three campuses in the Moffett Park Specific Plan Area. NetApp has requested the Moffett Park development reserve and additional citywide Green Building Program incentives by upgrading current buildings to a LEED Gold standard and constructing new LEED Gold buildings. NetApp currently has two campuses. The larger campus (Site 1) is bound by Java, Geneva, Caribbean, and Crossman. The second campus (Site 2) is across the street at Java and Crossman and will be expanded to include adjacent properties on Orleans Drive. NetApp has also acquired a third site at Crossman, Caribbean and Baltic (Site 3). All sites will have easy access to each other through on-site walkways and public sidewalks. There is a Light Rail station at Java and Crossman that will aid in meeting Transportation Demand Management requirements.

Extensive Building Improvements for Spec Space

The owner of 690 E. Arques Avenue received a building permit for $1,000,000 in improvements to the building to make it ready for a future tenant. The work includes facade upgrades, lobby improvements, and bathroom/shower remodel, and general office space set up. The plans for the project were reviewed over the counter at the One-Stop Permit Center.

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Rare Birds Draw Crowds of Birdwatchers

In recent weeks the area around the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) and the closed Sunnyvale Landfill has been a hub of intense bird watching activity. Two unusual Arctic birds drew a steady stream of bird watchers hoping to see them.

A Yellow-billed Loon spent time in Pond A4, northeast of the WPCP. According to Wikipedia, this species is the largest member of the loon or diver family. It breeds in the Arctic. Many birders took the mile-long walk out to the pond with their binoculars, spotting scopes and cameras.

More conveniently located was a Red-throated Pipit that spent time on the northern facing slope of the landfill's West Hill. This rare pipit from Siberia and northern Alaska looks much like the more common American pipit and was mixed in with a large group of American Pipits as they looked for insects on the landfill surface. So, the challenge for bird watchers was to sift through the local birds to find the rare visitor.

FINANCE

Bank Credit Ratings Downgraded

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its credit ratings on several of the largest financial institutions worldwide. The credit rating downgrade reflects the implementation of Standard & Poor's new ratings methodology announced earlier this month which evaluates the creditworthiness based in part on the economic and industry risks and bank specific strengths and weaknesses.

Standard & Poor's took rating actions on 37 different banks and their affiliates. The City banks exclusively with Union Bank which was not one of the banks that was downgraded by Standard & Poor's.

Repeal of 3 Percent Tax Withholding Requirement

On November 22, 2011, President Obama signed into law a bill (H.R. 674) that repeals a future 3 percent withholding requirement that was imposed six years ago as part of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. If not repealed, beginning January 1, 2013, all payments for goods and services made by the City would have required for tax purposes a withholding of 3 percent of every contract worth more than $10,000. The withholding provision would have put an administrative burden on both the City and businesses that enter into government contracts, hurt the cash flow to businesses, increased the cost of bonds for businesses and may have forced many of the smaller companies out of the government market altogether. 

Strong Enrollment in Online Utility Billing Services Continues

The Finance Department has been live with online utility bill presentment and payment service for over a year now.  The City has been promoting the service through new account starts on the telephone, information in the City Hall Annex Lobby, through a link on the front page of the City’s website, and through a utility bill insert.  Staff set a goal during the start up of billing 10 percent of utility bills online in the first year, and 20 percent in the second year.  The City currently has approximately 4,700 accounts enrolled online, which is equal to approximately 15 percent of total bills sent for the year.  Staff anticipates that strong enrollment will continue and the 20 percent goal will be met by the end of this fiscal year.  Also, staff will be looking to encourage users who are enrolled in e-billing but still receiving a paper bill to turn off the paper option to save the City paper and postage costs.