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March 1, 2019

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FRIDAY LETTER


Storm Ready
We're ready for the next wave of weather, but please don't hesitate to call if you have any issues - before, during, after a storm.  Chip Rerig 620.2058, Maxine Gullo 620.2008, Chief Paul Tomasi 620.2029, Bob Harary 620.2021.

PGE Gas Meter Inspections
As part of their ongoing maintenance efforts, PGE contractors will be performing routine gas meter inspections throughout the coming weeks. There are 386 meters to inspect within the Village, and the inspections will determine if any corrosion has occurred to the meter assemblies or the risers.  This inspection is conducted every three years.
 
The PGE contract workers performing these inspections will enter the customers’ yards carrying a mobile device used for inputting data and taking pictures of the meter and its supporting facilities.  All of the PGE contractors will carry photo ID’s and will wear PG&E orange safety vests and hard hats, but their shirts will have the contractor logo. They will not be in PGE vehicles but will have a PGE placard on the door and in the windshield. Workers will also carry fact sheets pertaining to the work they are performing, which they will present to customers upon request.
 
It is important for customers to know that, the PGE contractors will not enter any homes during these inspections. If a customer asks for an ID or badge and they still feel uncomfortable about having the contractor on their premises, they can call PGE's customer service line at 1-800-743-5000 to verify the presence in the community.
 
In addition, please know that automated calls have gone out to customers who have a phone number listed on their PG&E online accounts.  This work will not affect gas service. In the event a meter cannot be accessed, PG&E will schedule a visit and inspect the meter on a future date.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station Results
Driving electric vehicles is a great way to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The City appreciates all electric vehicle users for being champions for the environment and supporting a cleaner and greener way to travel.

The dashboard below includes information on the number of charging station users who have been using the City’s ChargePoint charging stations, the average duration of charging times (2 hours, 18 minutes), and the energy dispensed. Of particular interest are the positive effects on the environment based on standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. In Carmel alone, we have already avoided 11,391 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions which is equivalent to planting 292 trees and letting them grow for 10 years! 


 
First Flush
This week, the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Regional Storm Water Management Program held an appreciation event for First Flush volunteers that sampled storm drain outfalls during the first winter storm last November. The first winter storm can have the highest concentration of pollutants because it is flushing months of built up pollutants that accumulate during dry weather. 
 
At the event, results of this annual sampling were presented. Samples collected in Carmel indicated elevated concentrations of detergent, copper, and bacteria E. coli and enterococcus. Carmel’s results were similar to other areas throughout the region. First flush sampling and testing helps local municipalities understand trends in runoff water quality so that specific counter-measures can be implemented.

Storm Cleanup Continues
Unfortunately, a tree at Scenic Road and Tenth Avenue was destroyed by the strong winds of the last storm. This particular tree's demise was a bit different than most others in that this tree was rotted in the trunk, possibly from previous limb damage, and sheared off 





Draft Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2019/20
All are invited to attend the City Council meeting next Tuesday, March 5 at 4:30 pm, to hear about the status of previously-funded capital improvement projects, unveil the most pressing needs for capital funding for the upcoming fiscal year, effective July, and to review funding sources and limitations. Proposed new projects include additional road paving and sidewalk repairs, repairs and upgrades to City buildings, and even a climate change plan. Your comments are very welcome. 

How many Capital Improvement Projects will the City complete this current Fiscal Year (July 2018 through June 2019)? As a starting hint, consider repaving of Ocean Avenue in the business district, habitat restoration activities in the North Dunes, and launching of the City’s new website.
 
  1.   4
  2. 10
  3. 14
  4. 19
  5. 24
Tip a cop
Carmel Police Officer's Association, along with the Monterey County Probation Department will be participating in a Tip a Cop Fundraiser for the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The event will be on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Carmel Bouchee restaurant, located on Mission Street just south of Ocean Avenue. 

Carmel Officers will be waiting tables and any tips they receive will be donated to Special Olympics!  

Carmel Unified School District - Distinguished School
Today we received notification that Carmel Middle School, Carmel High School, and our Carmel Unified School District as a whole have been honored by the California Department of Education under the 2019 Distinguished Schools Program. The program recognizes outstanding education programs and practices, especially spotlighting those who have achieved exceptional student performance for two consecutive school years or who have closed the achievement gap between two school years. We are the only schools and district in Monterey County to be so recognized in 2019.

This is cause for a celebration!  Receiving these awards is a validation of the District's dedication to excellence and our continuous improvement efforts. Achieving such honors requires teamwork from students, faculty, staff, parents, administrators, and school board.  A strong commitment to achievement and developing well-rounded students runs throughout the District. 

Tree Pruning and Removal Permits – Private Property/Not a Construction Project
After the past storms, there has been some confusion regarding the City’s requirements associated with tree pruning and removals, and when permits are required. Hopefully, the following list will clarify these issues.
 
Please use a City of Carmel-licensed tree service contractor for all tree work.

PRUNING
  • A Permit is required for removal of a live limb over 4” in diameter.
  • No permit required for dead, broken, storm-damaged, or other hazardous limbs.
  • Refer to Carmel Tree Pruning Standards on the City web site for guidelines.
REMOVAL
  • A Permit is required for removal of a pine, cypress, oak, or redwood greater than 6” diameter (19” circumference) at 4.5 feet above ground level.
  • A Permit is required for removal of other trees greater than 10” diameter (32” circumference) at 4.5 feet above ground level.
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
  • Requirements for a Permit may be waived for situations that require immediate action such as uplifting roots, tree rocking in the soil, split or cracked trunks or other prominent hazard. However, trees that are an immediate hazard must be documented or verified by City staff, an arborist, or a licensed tree service contractor and reported to the City Forester as soon as possible.
  • Once the hazard is documented and/or verified, work can proceed to abate the hazard.
  • A removal application must be submitted as soon as possible after the hazard is abated so the City can issue a permit for that emergency work.
PERMIT FEE
  • The Permit Fee is currently $225. This fee may be waived under extraordinary circumstances, such as damage from a storm, at the sole discretion of the City.
CONTACTS
  • Public Works Department:   831-620-2070
  • City Forester:   831-620-2073
  • Carmel Police Department:   831-624-6403 
New Facility Maintenance Truck
The deteriorating Public Works facilities maintenance utility truck, which has given us over 23 years of service, has been replaced.  Budgeted as a capital improvement project using the City’s Vehicle & Equipment Fund, the new truck came in below budget and was delivered this week. Just look at Facility Maintenance Supervisor Cleve Water's big smile!  



Saint Junipero Serra and the Dream of California
 
Carmel Public Library Foundation invites the public to a free program, Community Night with the Library:
 
Archaeologist, writer, photographer, and Professor Rubén G. Mendoza will address the events leading to, and culminating with, the Papal Canonization of San Junípero Serra, OFM. Mendoza will address the back story surrounding the Serra Canonization from the standpoint of an archaeologist and historian with long experience in that work needed to address the contested histories of the California missions. More specifically, Professor Mendoza offers an insider’s perspective regarding just how the process unfolded during the year of the Serra Canonization, including the Serra Symposium and Papal Mass at the Vatican, and Pope Francis’ subsequent visit to the US. This presentation will be fully illustrated with images from archaeological and historical field investigations leading to key archaeological findings that culminated in the Papal invitation for the speaker’s participation in the Serra Symposium, and includes images from the Serra Mass convened in Vatican City, and the subsequent Papal visit to the US for the Serra Canonization and the barrage of media coverage that ensued.
 
Community Night with the Library:  Saint Junipero Serra and the Dream of California
Speaker: Dr. Ruben Mendoza, CSUMB Professor
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 6th at 7PM
Location: Carpenter Hall, 9th Ave. & Mission St. - Sunset Center, Carmel
Cost: FREE and open to the public

AIA MB
Want to know more about some of Monterey Bay's rich history in modern architecture?  See the invite below from our local AIA chapter.  



Here is what is coming up at the Sunset Center
• This Sunday, March 3rd at 3PM,  Youth Music Monterey presents Peasant Spirit. Visit www.youthmusicmonterey.org for more information.
• Next Wednesday, March 6th at 7PM in Carpenter Hall, Carmel Public Library Foundation presents the Henry Meade Williams Local History Lecture Series- Saint Junipero Serra and the Dream of California. Visit www.carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org for more information.
• Sunset Presents Becoming Kareem: An Evening with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar next Saturday, March 9th at 8PM. From the schoolyard to the basketball court to the streets of America's civil rights marches to the stages of Hollywood, we invite you to sit back, watch, listen and learn from the moments that have inspired one man's incredible journey. Exclusive VIP Meet & Greet includes reception, photo opportunity and a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed basketball! Tickets and information available atwww.sunsetcenter.org.
• Sunset Presents STOMP on Wednesday, March 13th at 8PM. The international percussion sensation comes to Carmel-by-the-Sea! Tickets and information available at www.sunsetcenter.org.

Do your best to stay warm and dry, and take good care.  Stay out of the 'atmospheric river,' and all other rivers for that matter.

CR 
 

Carmel-by-the-Sea City Hall
P.O. Box CC
Carmel-by-the-Sea,
CA 93921

Monte Verde St., between Ocean & 7th Avenues

Tel: 831-620-2000
Fax: 831-620-2004

Copyright © 2019 City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, All rights reserved.


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