Your Morgan Hill Weekly 411
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Hello Morgan Hill!
What a week! Many of us are facing some degree of changes to plans and schedules, sometimes on very short notice. As Abigail Adams once said, "
Great difficulties may be surmounted by patience and perseverance."
The City of Morgan Hill continues to monitor the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and is taking proactive steps to help ensure the health and safety of our community and to provide for the continuation of essential health and safety services. As part of this plan, the City of Morgan Hill proclaimed a local emergency on Friday, March 13, 2020, which will allow the City to access resources to assist in responding to the needs of the community during this time.
Please visit the City's
website
for the latest information about the City of Morgan Hill's response to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of people infected. Slowing the spread of the disease will help prevent our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. If the number of cases can be stretched out over time, not exceeding our healthcare system's capacity, then people will get the care they need. All members of our community play a vital role in slowing the spread through intentional social distancing measures such as limiting gatherings and we encourage all members of the community to follow the guidelines provided by Public Health (
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/DiseaseInformation/novel-coronavirus/Pages/home.aspx
) and the CDC (
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
).
We encourage the community to stay calm, safe, and share information with your friends and neighbors who may not have access to social media or other resources.
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City Services and Operations
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While City facilities may be open, some services and meetings may be cancelled, postponed or held online. Check the City’s
website calendar
for specific event listings and cancellations.
The City’s Community Services Department has made several alterations to programs, services and facility operations in response to the most recent guidance from the County Health Department.
Updates on City Services and/or Operations as of March 13
Centennial Recreation Center and Recreation Programs:
The Centennial Recreation Center is managed in partnership with the City of Morgan Hill and the YMCA of Silicon Valley. Both organizations have worked to monitor the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At this time the CRC along with the 10 other YMCA of Silicon Valley Facilities will remain open with some limitations to ensure the guidelines provided by the Public Health Department are met. To keep all of our members healthy, CRC staff respectfully ask that anyone considered
high risk by the CDC
refrain from visiting the CRC. Specific facility guidelines are as follows:
- Each area of the facility will cap visitors at a maximum of 30 people per activity space and implement appropriate social distancing
- The fitness center will remain open, with cardio and strength training equipment
- Group Exercise is available through a modified group exercise schedule.
- Pool will remain open for lap swimming only (no recreation swim)
- The Teen Center will remain open allowing for limited attendance
- Youth and older adult programs are currently cancelled through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective immediately.
- The Kids Club is closed through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective immediately.
Morgan Hill Aquatics Center:
- The Aquatics Center will remain open for lap swimming only
- All other activities are cancelled through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective Monday, March 16, 2020.
Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center:
- The Community and Cultural Center will be closed through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective Saturday, March 14, 2020 at noon. The facility is a hub for community events and meetings. Due to most event sizes being larger in nature, the facility is unable to meet all the COVID-19 risk mitigation measures and will be closed. We are working with event organizers to reschedule and/or process cancellations.
- The Morgan Hill Recreation Preschool will be closed through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective Monday, March 16, 2020. At this time, students should plan to return to class on Monday, April 13, 2020 due to Spring Break being scheduled April 6-10, 2020.
- All CRC Fitness courses currently taking place at the Community and Cultural Center will be suspended until the facility reopens on Monday, April 6, 2020.
Senior Services and Programs:
- Senior Services are suspended until further notice.
- Senior Fitness and Aqua Fitness courses are suspended until further notice, effective Saturday, March 14, 2020.
- The Senior Lunch Nutrition Program has transitioned to boxed to-go lunches only until further notice. Participants can pick up lunch anytime between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm at the Senior Center.
Recreation Classes:
- All Recreation Classes not identified above will be cancelled through Saturday, April 4, 2020, effective Monday, March 16, 2020
Updates on
Public Meetings
- Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting: The March 17th Parks & Recreation meeting has been cancelled
- City Council Meeting: The March 18th City Council meeting will continue as planned * see special guidelines below
- Planning Commission Meeting: The March 24th Planning Commission meeting will continue as planned * see special guidelines below
- Community Budget Workshops: The March 21st and 26th Community Budget Workshops have been cancelled
- Engage Morgan Hill Community Advisory Group Meeting (CAG): The March 28th CAG meeting has been cancelled
* Meeting Guidelines
In accordance with Executive Order N-25-20 and guidance from the California Department of Public Health on gatherings, remote public participation is allowed. We will address the Order in the following ways:
Members of the public may physically attend, observe, and provide public comment at meetings at the Morgan Hill City Council Chamber, however no one who is sick or showing symptoms of COVID-19 infection will be allowed to attend the meeting. Individuals who are at higher risk from infection should also avoid gatherings, including public meetings.
The City has increased the space between the Council Chamber audience chairs and placed disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer in the Chamber for the public’s use. Attendees are expected to comply with directions from City staff with regard to seating arrangements and other social distancing measures pursuant to Santa Clara Public Heath Officer’s Coronavirus Directives.
The City Council and Planning Commission meetings will be live-streamed on Channel 17 and on the
City’s website
and via
Facebook live
.
Public comment for City Council meetings will be accepted via email to
ccpubliccomment@morganhill.ca.gov
and/or by the chat feature through Facebook live during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item, and read into the record during public comment.
Public comment for Planning Commission meetings will be accepted via email to
pcpubliccomment@morganhill.ca.gov
and/or by the chat feature through Facebook live during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item, and read into the record during public comment.
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General Coronavirus Resources
The following central information sources are updated daily with local and regional, plus helpful reminders:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's dedicated web page
- The Santa Clara County Public Health Department web page
If you have additional questions, please contact the Health Department at its call center between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday, 408-885-3980.
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Online Census Now Available
The City has available a
Questionnaire Kiosk
:
- a computer available to the public for census form completion on Census Bureau's website: my2020census.gov
- City Hall lobby adjacent to the welcome desk, 17575 Peak Avenue
- 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., written instructions available
The City is planning to have additional kiosks available to the public in the near future. Stay tuned for locations and times as they become available.
Using any device with an internet connection, you can visit the
Census Bureau website
to complete the questionnaire in your preferred language. The Census Bureau has also created a
how-to video
that gives step-by-step instructions to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire online.
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Mayor Rich Constantine gave the 2020 State of the City Address on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. You can watch the video on the City's
facebook
page or
website.
You can view the full written speech
here
.
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Anderson Dam Project Update
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We understand that some members of the community have indicated that it is likely that Anderson Dam will not be rebuilt and that residents are being somehow kept in the dark about decisions relating to the Anderson rebuild. While Anderson is completely a project led by Valley Water at a facility wholly owned and operated by Valley Water, we understand that the Anderson Dam and Reservoir is of vital community interest so we wanted to take a moment to share the City’s understanding of the situation at this time.
- Due to a variety of physical, biological, and regulatory issues, the rebuild of Anderson Dam is taking far longer than anyone envisioned. In the meantime, Anderson has been kept only roughly half-full for safety purposes.
- As was well-publicized by local and national news, the Federal government recently ordered Valley Water to drain Anderson beginning this Fall.
- Due to high local groundwater reserves, State reservoir levels, and groundwater banked out of the area, Valley Water does not anticipate water shortages this year due to Anderson’s closure. The water supply in future years is dependent, as always, on the rainfall and snowfall received. The temporary closure of Anderson will ultimately reduce the water available – particularly during severe or long-lasting droughts.
- Valley Water staff is preparing an updated analysis for the Valley Water Board of Directors to consider on March 18th. The City expects this analysis to consider a full-range of alternatives for the Anderson Project ranging from rebuilding the dam completely at the current level – all the way down to don’t rebuild it at all. Not rebuilding the dam at all would have serious consequences for the water supply of the entire County. Anderson currently makes up over 50% of Valley Water’s entire reservoir capacity, enables Valley Water to accept and store Delta water when it is available, and can deliver water to Valley Water’s treatment plants that supply drinking water to much of the Silicon Valley.
- South County water levels are largely dependent on the availability of imported water from the Delta – not the level of water in Anderson. The water that we see in the Madrone Channel (along 101) and the San Pedro Ponds is typically water from the Delta – not water from Anderson. Until recently, it was not even possible for Anderson water to be used to recharge the City’s primary aquifer.
- We are not aware of any history of land subsidence in the South County area and there is no evidence that this is a valid area of concern. Groundwater levels have fallen during severe drought events in the past without any noticeable drop in ground levels or a reduction in the ability for the groundwater aquifer to recover and store water. While groundwater subsidence is currently a very serious issue in the Central Valley and was a problem in San Jose in the past, the absence of any history of subsidence in South County indicates that the soils and structure of the land in South County are not conducive to subsidence.
We appreciate the interest of the many residents interested in this important issue. We encourage you to monitor the discussion, come to meetings, and ask questions when you have them. The fact that meetings are being recorded and are available to stream 24/7 should provide the community with confidence that they can both observe and participate in their government’s decision making process.
The Valley Water Board discussion on Anderson scheduled for March 18th has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. We will update this page when it is rescheduled and encourage you to sign up for project updates directly from
Valley Water.
Below are links to the Valley Water Anderson Dam Project Page and updates:
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Engage Morgan Hill
is a community conversation about services, funding and priorities. It is an engagement process that will take us through the next two year budget development and adoption for fiscal years 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The next scheduled Community Advisory Group (CAG) meeting in March has been cancelled. Updates to future meetings will be posted when available. For more information about the CAG and any of the topics it has covered, visit its summary
web page
and left side navigation per topic.
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Meetings and Opportunities to Engage
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Vacancies on City Commissions
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Commissions with Vacancies
Visit the City's
web page
for general information about all the commissions.
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CANCELLED
Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting
Visit the commission's
web page
for general information. The next meeting scheduled is April 21; please check the City's website regularly for future schedule updates.
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CANCELLED
Below Market Rate Home Orientation
For more information visit the House Keys
website
or
email
. HouseKeys is the below market rate program administrator for the City of Morgan Hill.
The next meeting scheduled is April 16; please check the City's website regularly for future schedule updates.
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POSTPONED Until Summer 2020
8th Annual Strong Girls, Strong Women Leadership Conference (SGSW)
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POSTPONED
Free Youth Employment Workshop
On behalf of Living Above the Influence, in partnership with the City of Morgan Hill and YMCA as a sponsor, we welcome you to join us in the future. Open to all youth ages 14-24. Flyers in
English
and
Spanish.
Flyers include contact information for future scheduling updates.
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CANCELLED
Community Meetings and the City Budget
The City has started its bi-annual budget process for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal year budgets.
The City is looking forward to sharing information and receiving feedback on the budget. The locations and times for any future meetings will be posted when available.
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Santa Clara County
Civil Grand Jury Recruitment 2020-2021
The County of Santa Clara, is seeking volunteers to serve on the 2020-2021 Civil Grand Jury. It is important to our community that the grand jury is diverse and representative of the county population, and to ensure that the grand jury is equipped with a mixed set of skills and abilities so that we can assemble the deep reservoir of knowledge necessary in this broad oversight role.
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Youth Mental Health First Aid
City of Morgan Hill and Momentum for Mental Health
Presenting a mental health
first-aid series
that teaches how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in adolescents.
Courses are held at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center; the next class date is scheduled for April 10, 2020, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Registration is required
. Another class date is available on May 8.
Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center
17000 Monterey Road
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
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Public Comment Open Until April 21, 2020
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California High Speed Rail Authority
California continues to be the leader in clean transportation. Electrified high-speed rail, powered by 100 percent renewable energy is key to transforming California’s transportation system in an era when climate change has becoming increasingly urgent.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) released the
Draft 2020 Business Plan
for the beginning of a 60-day public comment period.
On the site, you can easily access plan highlights, see a short clip where CEO Brian Kelly discusses his take on the plan, and take a quick look at the notable elements of the plan. The plan is broken down into chapters, making it easier to hone in on the elements of the plan that interest you most. We hope you will take time to review the Draft 2020 Business Plan and provide comments.
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Camp Cinder
Cal Fire Free Camp
The camp
is designed for young women ages 14 to 18. Participants can learn leadership and team building, water rescues, helicopter operations, aerial ladders, nutrition, rope rescues, and much more. There is an application process, which has an April 26 deadline. Submit your application to:
https://www.fire.ca.gov/camp-cinder/.
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Public Project and Maintenance Updates
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Get your updates from Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman
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Santa Clara County libraries are now closed as aprecautionary measure due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) .Visit the link below to learn more:
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Valley Water District News
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Check out the
most recent news
from Valley Water District's News & Events web page, plus highlights including:
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VTA News Blog - Headways
Check out the most recent news from Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
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Volunteer Opportunities & Jobs
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Have you thought about getting involved, but not sure where to start?
The City of Morgan Hill has many volunteer opportunities that could allow you to give back to your community and have an impact, develop a new skill, meet new people, stay connected, explore a new career, or just help you grow individually as a person.
Research indicates that volunteering not only benefits and strengthens your community and the organization you are volunteering for, it can have significant health benefits. Apply to become a volunteer today by
completing this form
.
Questions and Comments:
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Whether you are looking for an entry or management level position, Morgan Hill employees have a lot in common. We are all hard working individuals who respect each other and value teamwork to deliver services.
We excel at meeting challenges and work hard to exceed our customer's expectations. We work for an organization that encourages innovation, provides opportunities for professional growth, and recognizes the contributions of each employee.
If you share these core values, we invite you to apply for one of our open positions.
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City of Morgan Hill Recreation Guide
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Current Watering Schedule
Wednesdays Only
November 1 - March 31
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Water is always a precious resource and the City's permanent watering restrictions have been designed to best manage our potable water supply. These restrictions help avoid or minimize the effects of drought, climate change and the unreliability of the imported water infrastructure that serves the City of Morgan Hill.
Customers can report water waste
online
or by calling the Water Waste Hotline at 408-310-4195.
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Morgan Hill City Hall
Office Hours
Hours
:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Phone:
408-779-7271
17575 Peak Ave
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
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Elected Officials
County Supervisor
District 1:
California State Assembly District 30:
Robert Rivas
California State Senate District 17:
U.S. Congressional District 19:
City of Morgan Hill
Advisory Commissions:
City of Morgan Hill Advisory Committees:
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