FEBRUARY 2017 HOLIDAY HOURS
In observance of Presidents' Day, City Hall will be closed on Monday, February 20, 2017.
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LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES
COMMUNITY DAY & BOOK DRIVE
As part of his Fiscal Year 2016-2017 priorities, Mayor Robert Gonzales established a Little Free Libraries Program and enlisted our talented Public Works staff to create and build the libraries. On Saturday, January 21, 2017, several community members came out to paint our Little Free Libraries that will be mounted throughout the community soon.
At the February 6, 2017 City Council meeting, Mayor Gonzales will kick-off his month-long Book Drive to ensure that the Little Free Libraries are always stocked. Effective Tuesday, February 7, 2017, books will be accepted a the following locations:
- City Hall (117 Macneil St, San Fernando)
- Recreation Park (208 Park Ave, San Fernando)
- Las Palmas Park (505 S. Huntington St, San Fernando)
- San Fernando Police Department (910 First Street, San Fernando)
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RECRUITMENT
Public Works Superintendent
Oral interviews have been scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2017, at City Hall for in-house promotional recruitment for Public Works Superintendent. Four Public Works Supervisors have applied for the position, and will be
interviewed by an outside interview panel. Candidates that pass that interview will be placed on an eligibility list, and will be interviewed by the Deputy City Manager/Public Works Director, before a selection is made.
Hiring Now
Applications are currently being accepted for Police Officer, City Maintenance
Helper (part-time), Recreation Leader I and II (part-time), Criminology Intern, and Finance Intern. Filing for all the positions are open until filled.
Visit the City website (
WWW.SFCITY.ORG) to view the job bulletins and download a City Employment Application.
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AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA) REPORTING MANDATE
Personnel staff is working hard to complete the necessary reports that will ensure that the City complies with ACA reporting requirements for the 2016 tax year. That will entail furnishing the relevant report to IRS, as well as the 2016 Forms 1095-C to all employees that received health coverage from the City in the 2016 calendar year. The City must show that substantially all full-time employees and their dependents were offered affordable health coverage in the tax year, or pay IRS penalty, which can be up to $3,240 per year per employee. For the purpose of the ACA report, full-time employees include every employee that worked a minimum of 30 hours on average per week. Staff should complete these reports by Tuesday, January 31, 2017.
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GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION (MARCH 7, 2017)
Consolidated with Los Angeles County
At their December 2016 meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution to consolidate San Fernando's election with the Los Angeles County Special Countywide Election. The City Council also voted to submit a ballot measure question (i.e., Measure SF) to our voters whether to convert the City Treasurer position into an appointive position. Therefore, County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's (RR/CC) will administer our election and canvass the results.
Voter Information Guide and Sample Ballots
San Fernando voters will receive their Voter Information Guide and Permanent Vote by Mail voters will receive their ballots no sooner than February 6, 2017.
Registered Voters in San Fernando - The latest numbers from the RR/CC reported 10,388 registered voters and, of those, 2,602 Permanent Vote by Mail voters.
Vote by Mail Drop-off Program
San Fernando has partnered with the RR/CC to expand services by offering a Vote by Mail (VBM) Ballot Drop-Off Program. This service, offered through Monday, March 6, 2017, will allow voters to securely and easily drop-off their VBM ballot at numerous sites located throughout Los Angeles County including the City of San Fernando (i.e., City Clerk's Office).
Polling Places
Three polling places have been established for our upcoming election:
Las Palmas Park
Arts & Crafts Room
505 S. Huntington St. |
Rudy Ortega Sr. Park
Tea House
2025 Fourth St. |
United Methodist Church
Friendship Hall
1525 Glenoaks Blvd. |
Use of City Hall Facilities
The RR/CC requested to use City Hall on:
- Saturday, February 25, 2017 - Election Supply Pic-Up: Between the hours of 7 am and 5 pm, County personnel will use the parking lot (behind City Hall) to load election supplies onto the vehicles of precinct workers. City Hall will not be open; they've requested to use the parking lot only.
- Tuesday, March 7, 2017 - Election Day: From 6:30 pm to midnight or close, the County will again use the back entrance to City Hall so that local precincts (approximately 80) can drop off their supplies. City Hall will be closed to the general public. County workers will be using the facility to load up election supplies and deliver them back to Norwalk.
Additional Election Information
For additional election information, please refer to the links below:
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2017 SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The City of San Fernando and the San Fernando Education Commission, in partnership with the California Latino Water Coalition Foundation, the Independent Cities Finance Authority, and Republic Services. Inc., have announced various scholarship opportunities.
If you have any questions, call 818.898.1204 or email
SFEduCom@sfcity.org.
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UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION
On Monday, February 6, 2017, the City Council will have a second of two presentations focusing on "Regulatory Alternatives for Medical and/or Non-Medical Commercial Cannabis Activities". As part of the presentation, the City Council will be provided information regarding the following topics:
- Strategies for Implementation (including application, selection (including use of 3rd party such as yourself to review and rank applications for City Council consideration), and entitlement processes (Development Agreement (DA), Conditional Use Permit (CUP), et cetera);
- Taxation vs. DA option for potential future city revenues;
- General Understanding of the marijuana industry;
- Public safety consideration based on best practices in other states and municipalities;
- Focus on cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, extraction, packing, and testing commercial type uses...no retail sales;
- Feasibility of including a local hire provision in the DA and CUP application process; and
- Identify salary ranges are for jobs in the cultivation, manufacturing, production work related to aforementioned cannabis uses.
It is anticipated that the City Council will provide further direction to City staff and the City Attorney's Office that will help guide the possible development of City Code amendments related to commercial cannabis activities (medical and/or non-medical). Any City Code amendments contemplated by the City Council would be developed at a later date and require public review and a public hearing process and associated environmental assessment as required by city and state regulations.
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UPCOMING PLANNING & PRESERVATION COMMISSION ITEM
On Tuesday, February 7, 2017, the Planning and Preservation Commission will consider a request from Papa Juan's Restaurant to amend an existing conditional use permit in order to modify an existing restaurant space (formerly operated as Library Bistro) to include the ancillary on-site sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages (i.e., beer, wine and spirits). As part of the CUP request, Papa Juan's Restaurant will be seeking the Commission's approval to allow for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages within the expanded dining area that includes adjacent repurposed commercial space, new patio and courtyard areas that will be exclusively used by the restaurant. Papa Juan's Restaurant is located within the Library Plaza complex at 227 North Maclay Avenue in the City's San Fernando Corridors Specific Plan Downtown District's City Center Sub-District (SP-4) Zone.
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2017 GREATER LOS ANGELES HOMELESS COUNT
On January 24, 2017, the City of San Fernando participated in a one-day, citywide homeless count as part of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's (LAHSA) 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Street Count. The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Street Count took place between Tuesday, January 24, 2017 and Thursday, January 26, 2017 as a County-wide effort to document the number of homeless individuals and families in Los Angeles County.
LAHSA is a joint powers authority formed by the City and County of Los Angeles in 1993, to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles. LAHSA is the lead agency of the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (LA CoC). The LA CoC includes 85 cities and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.
The street count that was undertaken on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, refers to the process of counting homeless persons residing in shelters or living on the street, in parks, cars or other places not meant for human habitation; as well as conducting the Housing Inventory Chart (HIC), an enumeration of the number of shelters, beds and units dedicated to housing homeless persons. The homeless count occurs on an annual basis and consists of four components: 1) the street count; 2) the demographic survey; 3) the shelter count; and 4) the youth count.
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CITY RESULTS FROM GREATER LOS ANGELES HOMELESS COUNT 2013-2017
The following are the unofficial results of the homeless count that occurred in the City on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, as part of the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count: The preliminary final homeless count for the City in the 2017 survey noted 23 homeless individuals (including one minor under 18). By comparison, LAHSA Homeless Count Survey Results for the City of San Fernando identified 19 homeless individuals in 2016.
The following graph identifies the City of San Fernando homeless counts numbers resulting from the last four "Greater Los Angeles Homeless Counts" that took place within the City:
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BUSINESS LICENSE FEES DUE FEBRUARY 28, 2017
Reminder: Business License fees for 2017 are due by close of business on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. Failure to renew by that time will result in a 10 percent penalty for each month the application is late. Avoid penalties and long lines by renewing online (http://SanFernando.hdlgov.com/) or by telephone (818.898.1211). You may pay by credit card online or by telephone.
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BUSINESS LICENSE AMNESTY PROGRAM
The City Council has approved a Business License Amnesty Program to waive all penalties for businesses that are currently operating without a license, or with an expired license, if they self-report by June 30, 2017. After June 30, 2017, the City will conduct a discovery and verification audit of businesses operating in the City. Any businesses or individuals found to be operating without a license at that time will be subject to back fees and penalties. If interested in participating in the Business License Amnesty Program, please contact Sandra Soto (818.898.1245 or SSoto@sfcity.org), or download an application from the City's website (WWW.SFCITY.ORG).
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AVOID LATE FEES ON YOUR WATER BILL
Have you ever received late fees because you forgot to pay your Water Bill? Avoid late fees by signing up for AutoPay and have your Water Bill debited from your account automatically. For more details, contact the Finance Department at 818.898.1245.
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FORM 1099: MISC, MISCELLANEOUS INCOME
Form 1099 requires that the City report any monies paid in excess of $600 for services rendered to any non-employee. Usually these payments are made to independent contractors, some of which only provide services once during the year. The City issued 1099 Forms by January 31, 2017.
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FORM W-2, WAGE AND TAX STATEMENT
The form W-2 for 2016 were distributed to all employees before the January 31, 2017 deadline. If you have any questions related to the amounts listed on your W-2, please contact Monica Miramontes at 818.898.1216
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FINANCIAL REPORTS
As a reminder, all of the City's financial reports, including annual budgets, audited financial statements, and the Measure A Annual Report can be found under the Finance Department page on the City's website (WWW.SFCITY.ORG).
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MURDER INVESTIGATION
On Thursday, January 19, 2017, at approximately 3 am, the San Fernando Police Department received a 911 call from a residence in the 1000 block of Griswold Avenue regarding a medical emergency. While Officers were responding, they were informed that family members were performing CPR on the female assault victim. Upon their arrival, Officers contacted and detained a male Hispanic (that appeared to be disoriented) in front of the residence.
Responding Officers assisted in performing CPR and deployed a defibrillator. Los Angeles Fire Department arrived and took over medical treatment and after several minutes of attempting to save the victim's life, she succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
Investigating Officers determined that the detained male was the suspect and he was arrested for murder.
SFPD Detectives, along with Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) Homicide Detectives, responded to the crime scene and jointly investigated this incident. The female victim was married to the suspect and they have three children together, ranging from four to eight years old. It was later determined that the suspect was a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy several years ago. He was employed for less than two years and it is unclear how he lost his employment.
On Monday, January 24, 2017, the joint agencies presented the murder case to the Los Angeles District Attorney's (DA) San Fernando Office. The DA's Office filed one count of murder with a bail of $2,020,000 and the suspect was arraigned for the murder charge later that afternoon.
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WINTER STORM RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
With the recent winter storms during January 2017, Public Works staff has been busy responding to several local storm-related issues throughout the community, including:
- Providing a sand bag filling station for residents at 501 First Street;
- Filling and delivering 55 sand bags in the community;
- Addressing minor leaks in City facilities;
- Clearing downed tree limbs and telecommunications wires from the public right-of-way;
- Clearing storm debris from storm drains and catch basins; and
- Patching potholes along several local streets.
We appreciate the hard work and quick response from our staff. Due to many proactive work efforts (including street repairs, increased tree trimming) over the last several months, many storm-related impacts have been minimized.
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TRUMAN STREET IMPROVEMENTS
As part of the City's capital improvement budget, a grant-funded project was included to complete sidewalk and landscaping improvements on Truman Street, from Brand Blvd. to San Fernando Mission Blvd. These improvements will be focused on the south side of Truman and include the repair of damaged sidewalk/driveways, the installation of a landscaped parkway (with drought tolerant plants), and bus stop lighting fixtures. Plans are being finalized and the project will be advertised in February 2017. Once bids are received, it is expected that the City Council will consider an award of contract in late March 2017. Staff will be sure to keep you informed as this project progresses.
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ANNUAL STREET RESURFACING PROJECT UPDATE
Design work continues to move forward on the City's Annual Street Resurfacing Project. This month, survey and field mapping work is taking place on seven Local streets, including Arroyo Ave. (Fifth St to Glenoaks Blvd), Lazard St (Fourth St to Glenoaks Blvd), Lucas St (Orange Grove Ave to Workman St), Phillippi St (Hubbard St to Orange Grove Ave), Workman St (Glenoaks Blvd to Seventh St), Harding Ave (Glenoaks Blvd to Eighth St) and Alexander St (Library St to Lucas St). In addition, Request for Proposals (RFPs) are being finalized for two other street improvement projects: the Glenoaks Improvement Project and the CDBG Street Improvement Project. It is expected that design work will initiate in February 2017. Construction on these improvements is expected to take place in Spring/Summer 2017. Staff will be sure to keep you up-to-date as these projects move forward.
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CNG STATION PROJECT UPDATE
Work is continuing to move forward on the City's CNG Design/Build Improvement Project. The City's contractor, Clean Energy, continues to meet weekly with the City to finalize site plans for the project. Once this process is finished, Clean Energy will initiate full construction designs. In the meantime, the Gas Company is busy at work on First Street and Macneil Street installing a new gas main for the facility. This work is expected to run through mid-February 2017, weather permitting. Staff will be sure to keep you informed as this project moves forward and will also be sure to provide adequate notice to the public prior to starting construction.
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ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
As part of the City's capital improvement budget, a grant-funded project was included to install electric vehicle charging stations at locations in the downtown mall area and adjacent to City Hall. Staff recently received grant agreements for this project and will be presenting them in February 2017 for the City Council's consideration. As planned, all capital costs will be funded through the grant and ongoing electricity costs will funded through user charging fees.
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ON-CALL WASTEWATER FLOW MONITORING SERVICES
Following the City Council's approval of as-needed wastewater flow monitoring services on January 17, 2017, staff is coordinating with ADS Environmental to schedule the installation of flow monitors. These monitors will help to track existing flows and help to determine if any system deficiencies exist. Similar monitoring was conducted last year and helped to provide valuable information about the City's wastewater system. As planned, installation will take place next month and monitoring will continue over a two-month period.
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RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES
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PARK CLEAN-UP
Calling all volunteers! Help us make a difference in our community. Join the City of San Fernando and Tree People in this park restoration experience. Bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, proper shoes and gloves.
| WHEN: |
Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
| TIME: |
9 am to 12 pm |
| WHERE: |
801 Eighth Street, San Fernando |
| COST: |
Free |
| INFO: |
818.898.1290 |
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LOPEZ ADOBE
Visit this historic San Fernando jewel! The Lopez Adobe historical landmark offers free guided tours from 1 pm to 4 pm on the fourth Sunday of each month. Contact Recreation Park at 818.898.1290 for more information.
On Thursday, February 16, 2017, at 11 am, the Lopez Adobe docents will be conducting a special tour for the Heritage Reflection Questers.
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WINTER RECREATION PROGRAMMING
Quarterly, the Recreation and Community Services Department distributes a brochure that lists all of their exciting new activities and programs, including:
- Fitness & Wellness ProgramsArts Classes
- Sports Programs & Activities
- Senior Programs & Activities
- Health Classes
- Transit Services
- Upcoming Events
CLICK HERE to view the Winter Programs Brochure for January 2017 through March 2017.
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CITY CALENDAR
Public Meetings | City Hall Hours | Events
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FEBRUARY 1
TRANSPORTATION & SAFETY COMMISSION Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.1222
6 pm | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 3
CITY HALL CLOSED
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FEBRUARY 4
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
Help us make a difference in our community. Join the City of San Fernando and Tree People in this park restoration experience. Bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, proper shoes and gloves.
801 Eighth St, San Fernando | 818.898.1290
9 am to 12 pm | Registration at 8:45 am
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FEBRUARY 6
CITY COUNCIL & SUCCESSOR AGENCY Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.1204
6 pm | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 7
PLANNING & PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.1227
6:30 pm | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 9
OVERSIGHT BOARD Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.7307
10 am | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 14
ELDERLY NUTRITION PROGRAM VALENTINE'S DAY CELEBRATION
Love is in the air at Las Palmas Park! Join us for a morning of treats, music, dancing and raffles as we celebrate a day of friendship and love.
Las Palmas Park | 505 S. Huntington St, San Fernando | 818.898.1290
9 am to 1 pm | $2 Suggested Donation for Lunch (Registration is Required)
If you do not wish to receive a meal you may still participate in the festivities and socialize with others.
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FEBRUARY 17
CITY HALL CLOSED
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BULKY ITEM DROP OFF & SHRED DAY Republic Services will host its quarterly bulky item drop-off and semi-annual Shred Day for City of San Fernando residents. Whether living in multi-family complexes or single-family homes, residents will be able to drop-off bulky items such as furniture, appliances, electronics, and mattresses for proper disposal. Used books will also be accepted and donated to local libraries. Items such as concrete, asphalt, dirt, construction and demolition material, and hazardous waste will not be accepted. Proof of residency will be required
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Parking Lot 6N | Corner of First St & Maclay Ave | 800.299.4898
8 am - 1 pm | Free
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FEBRUARY 18
LAS PALMAS SENIOR CLUB VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE
Join the club for an evening of dancing and romancing to the sounds of live music. There will be door prizes, raffles, and refreshments.
Las Palmas Park | 505 S. Huntington St, San Fernando | 818.898.7340
7 pm to 12 Midnight | $15 for Club Members | $20 for Non-Members
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FEBRUARY 20
CITY HALL CLOSED
(Holiday - In Observance of Presidents' Day) |
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FEBRUARY 21
CITY COUNCIL & SUCCESSOR AGENCY Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.1204
6 pm | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 23
SENIOR CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD Regular Meeting
Las Palmas Park | 505 S. Huntington St, San Fernando | 818.898.1290
1 pm | Agenda |
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FEBRUARY 28
EDUCATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting
Council Chambers | 117 Macneil St, San Fernando | 818.898.1204
6 pm | Agenda |
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