City of Lafayette, CA
08/10/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/10/2022 13:15
Almost Daily Briefing, August 10, 2022
The Almost Daily Briefing
Published news articles from local, regional, and national media on topics of interest to the #LoveLafayette Community
LOCAL NEWS
Pittsburg kicks off projects to add trail, mini-parks, green spaces - The projects are thanks to two Caltrans Clean California grants that the city was awarded. Included is $1,354,000 for the "Living Green Pittsburg" project that, in part, includes a new trail providing better access to BART, and $2,891,962 for the "Reviving the Heart of Pittsburg Pride" project for downtown park and landscape improvements. (East Bay Times)
Oakland Firesafe Council does all it can to prepare residents for disasters - The nonprofit founded in 2014 by Sue Piper and Ken and Dinah Benson to protect local residents and business owners during wildfires and other emergencies continues to be powered by a small band of volunteers. Location-specific programs, workshops, neighborhood projects, community town halls, partnerships with the city of Oakland, homeowner associations and other emergency preparedness organizations have resulted in a resource-rich, impressively informative website (oaklandfiresafecouncil.org) and other achievements. (East Bay Times)
Contra Costa Supervisors Reject Sheriff Oversight Panel, Approve Quarterly Reports - The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday decided against creating an independent board to oversee the county Sheriff's Office, opting instead to approve a recommendation by its public protection committee to receive quarterly reports from the Sheriff's Office concerning its activities. Assembly Bill 1185, which became law Jan. 1, 2021, authorizes counties to establish law enforcement oversight panels and/or an inspector general to assist in oversight duties. Doing either requires action on the board's part or a public vote. (Claycord)
COVID NEWS
Is COVID losing its fangs and becoming more like the flu? (East Bay Times)
OTHER NEWS
California Urges Public Sector Workers To Apply For Student Debt Forgiveness Before Deadline - In partnership with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the Campaign for California Borrowers' Rights launched a "California Student Debt Challenge," a statewide informational campaign on student loan forgiveness. Some one million Californians in the public service sphere are eligible for loan forgiveness, but only 10,000 have received it since 2007, according to state data. Local leaders want to ensure as many residents as possible receive the relief they're entitled to. (Claycord)
California delayed or wrongly denied jobless benefits for millions during pandemic, report says - California delayed or improperly denied unemployment benefits for roughly 6 million people during the pandemic because state policies "do not prioritize getting benefits to workers quickly," according to a nonpartisan report released Monday by the Legislative Analyst's Office. (Associated Press)
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission
Emergency Preparedness Commission
Roadway Surface Seal Project - see webpage for construction schedule this week
Lafayette Planning Applications Received
City of Lafayette Major Development Projects Map
Current Lafayette Construction Projects
Lafayette Community Information & Emergency Radio AM 1670
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION AND CITY PLANNING
Gov. Newsom launches unprecedented review of San Francisco's housing approval process - The California Department of Housing and Community Development said Tuesday that it would focus on San Francisco for its first-ever "housing policy and practice review," a process that will dissect why the city has the state's longest timeline for advancing housing projects and is the subject of the most complaints from Newsom's Housing Accountability Unit. The unit was created last year to alleviate California's housing shortage by forcing cities to follow state laws in approving and permitting new housing. (San Francisco Chronicle)
San Jose Officials To Weigh Housing At VTA Train Station - VTA is on a mission to dig itself out of the red by building thousands of new homes in Santa Clara County…The project is part of VTA's long-term plan to develop its land along the agency's transit corridors. By leasing surplus land near light rail stations to private developers or government housing agencies, VTA hopes to collect steady revenue from leases and new riders. The transportation agency sees this as a strategy to address Santa Clara County's housing shortage and its own financial problems. (Patch)
Los Gatos residents attempt repeal of 2040 General Plan - Los Gatos Town Council narrowly approved its 2040 General Plan in June, and now a group of residents is attempting to repeal it. (Mercury News)
'Electric bike library' planned for Oakland - The City of Oakland recently announced plans to buy 500 e-bikes for a pilot rental program that could launch as early as this winter. Local bike shops in low-income neighborhoods would rent out the bikes in partnership with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that works to improve access to carbon-free transportation options. (The Oaklandside)
Tacoma Lowers Speed Limits as Part of Vision Zero Plan - The City Council of Tacoma, Washington, has voted to lower speed limits to 20 miles per hour on residential streets and 25 miles per hour on arterial streets in four of the city's Neighborhood Business Districts. (Planetizen)
MIXTAPE
Here's how much you need to earn to buy a home in the Bay Area
Homelessness crisis: Santa Clara County houses 20% more people than last year
Did Sacramento illegally raise city stormwater fee? Lawsuit might have merit, experts say
Containment of deadly McKinney Fire reaches 55%; more dry weather in forecast
Oakland port plan would pollute air, shorten life spans
The best-selling car in California is the Tesla Model Y. Here are the other top models
California still 176,000 jobs short of full pandemic recovery
Lightning could spark more California fires as world warms
'Never seen it this bad': America faces catastrophic teacher shortage
Despite fewer job openings, Americans keep quitting at record rates
MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER LAFAYETTE
New online dashboard displays city-wide street light upgrade project by Lafayette Utilities System so customers can view the progress of the city-wide street light project to upgrade the current system to LED lights. The project began back in July and is expected to take 18-24 months to complete.
AND FINALLY…
The World Dog Surfing Championship took place in Pacifica this past weekend.
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The Almost Daily Briefing (ADB) is an aggregation of links to news articles from local and regional newspapers, magazines, websites, and other news sources. Its purpose is to alert readers to current issues and affairs that may impact Lafayette. The ADB does not promote, favor, disfavor, support, reject, or endorse any position, candidate, campaign, or proposition, and nothing about the ADB, including the selection, presentation, arrangement, or content of the links presented should be construed as an advocacy position.
At times, the ADB features articles from sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. The Contra Costa Library offers access to multiple newspapers online for all cardholders. Visit their website to learn how to get a library card.
If you have questions about the ADB, please contact the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst, Suzanne Iarla, at [email protected]. You can subscribe to the ADB and learn more about Lafayette's publications and social media sites here.