Field Survey & Monitoring Consultant Sought for Grizzly Island Trail Project

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - The Building and Public Works Department issued a request for proposals for firms qualified to perform field survey and monitoring work associated with the Grizzly Island Trail Project.

Under the direction of the Director of Building and Public Works, the consulting firm(s) is expected to perform

• Pre-construction surveys
• Perform follow-up field surveys
• Monitor the project site
• Coordinate and meet with regulatory agencies
• Provide guidance to City staff on implementing necessary measures
• Provide contractor education and training, prepare a noise monitoring plan
• Prepare reports on field surveys, and
• Perform other related work as described in this Request for Proposals (RFP)

The project is located along a portion of Highway 12, between Marina Boulevard and Grizzly Island Road. 

>> For more information, go to www.suisun.com

Notice Issued Seeking Construction Bids for Grizzly Island Trail Project

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - The Building & Public Works Department has issued a notice seeking construction bids for the Grizzly Island Trail Project.

The project is located along a portion of Highway 12, between Marina Boulevard and Grizzly Island Road. The planned work includes:

• a 0.8-mile-long concrete pathway parallel to portions of Marina Boulevard and Highway 12, and
• a 0.13-mile-long sidewalk along Grizzly Island Road.

The pathway adjacent to Marina Boulevard and Highway 12 will be 12-feet wide, and the portion adjacent to Grizzly Island Road will be sidewalks with varying widths. Other improvements include a school bus turnout and parking stalls in the southeastern portion of the work along Grizzly Island Road and other ancillary work. Other locations along the new pathway may include seat walls or other features that will require lightly loaded foundations. The site is at a relatively low elevation and some areas of the project may receive fills a few feet thick to improve drainage and for compliance with ADA criteria.

Bid are due April 17, 2012.

>> For more information, go to www.suisun.com
 

Regional Water Board Approves Suisun City Walmart Center

Regional Water Board Grants Suisun City Walmart Approvals

By Barry Eberling, Daily Republic
OAKLAND — Walmart won approval Wednesday from a regional water board for environmental steps that help clear the way for a proposed Suisun City store.

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board heard from both proponents and opponents at a meeting in the state’s Elihu M. Harris building in downtown Oakland. Then it approved environmental mitigations for the project by a 4-0 vote, with one member abstaining.

Walmart is now waiting for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biological opinion and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. Suisun City’s city manager, Suzanne Bragdon, expressed hope that construction of the 182,000-square-foot Walmart supercenter will be under way this fall.

>>Read more at www.suisuncitybusiness.com or www.dailyrepublic.com

Audio Equipment and HVAC Bids Now Being Accepted

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - The Building and Public Works Department has opened bidding for two projects: 

1. Council Chamber Conference System, and
2. HVAC Controls Upgrade Project

Proposals and/or bids for each project are due on March 27, 2012.  For more information, please visit www.suisun.com 

The Council Chamber Conference System project consists of replacing the digital audio conferencing system used in the City Hall Council Chamber. The system must consist of nine council microphones, one audience podium microphone and one presenter microphone.

The HVAC Controls Upgrade Project involves upgrade or replacement of existing HVAC control system at the Community Center, install new compatible controls at City Hall, the Police Station and the Senior Center; integrate all locations to be computer controlled at the City Hall location; and other incidental work as required.

More detailed information about both projects, including complete notices, are available at www.suisun.com

City Recruiting for an Accountant

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - The Administrative Services Department is accepting applications for the position of accountant.  Applications are due March 26.

The is an excellent career position for someone with two years of professional accounting experience, particularly in a municipal government environment.  The monthly salary range is $4,225 to $5,703.

The position performs professional accounting work, recording and reporting of financial transactions and budgeting controls for assigned funds and City departments; reviews accounts payable, payroll, receivables and other fiscal records; and prepares financial report statement and analyses. Positions in this class require prior experience.

Positions at this level receive only occasional instruction and assistance as new or unusual situations arise, are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit, and require the ability to work independently, exercising judgment and initiative.

For more information or to apply, please visit www.suisun.com today.

Get the Rush and Birds of Prey Workshop and Hike at Rush Ranch

Bring your whole family to Rush Ranch south of Suisun City, Calif., this Saturday, March 19th from 9am to 1pm for Get the Rush, and stay from 1pm to 5pm for the last Birds of Prey Workshop and Hike of the season.

Starting at 9am, enjoy an easy and informative guided walk along the marsh trails. Learn about the marsh and local human history. Meet your guide at the map outside the Nature Center. >> Where is Rush Ranch? >>

Between 10am to 1pm, travel back in time as you enter the historic Rush Ranch Blacksmith Shop. Join in an interactive demonstration with a smithy. Learn about traditional blacksmithing tools and equipment, and see the forge in the center of the ranch. Make your own iron nail or other keepsake!

Also from 10am to 1pm, visit Little Bear at his table full of Native American tools that he hand-crafted himself. Ask him about his life experiences and the history and culture of Native Americans.

From 11 am to 1pm, ride around the ranch on a wagon drawn by strong but gentle horses. Everyone is welcome, but the wagon is specially equipped for persons with limited mobility, including a solar powered wheelchair lift. These wagon rides allow those with limited mobility to experience the freedom and excitement of exploring beautiful open spaces like Rush Ranch, with highly trained horses and experienced drivers.

Stay from 1pm to 5pm to join birds of prey expert Larry Broderick for his last presentation and hike of the winter migratory season. In the Nature Center from 1-3pm, Broderick will give a presentation about raptor identification and interpretation including a season wrap-up and highlights from this incredible year. He gives beginning and experienced birders easy ways to identify year-round and migratory raptors. He shares useful handouts on raptor information and identification, and brochures on where to spot them.

Then after a 30 minute social break, from 3:30-5pm he'll lead a hike up Suisun Hill where eagles, falcons and hawks seek out ground squirrel colonies. Broderick has 25 years experience studying, researching, rescuing and rehabilitating birds of prey, and loves to share his knowledge. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced birder, you’ll be entertained as Broderick shows over 100 photos, demonstrates wing beat patterns, and takes you for a hike showing you how to spot birds of prey in the wild.

The blacksmith demonstration and Birds of Prey workshop take place rain or shine. Rain usually cancels other events.

Rush Ranch is owned and operated by Solano Land Trust.

For more on events & things to do near Suisun City, California, go to www.VisitSuisunCity.com

Snow Coming to Suisun City!

As part of the opening day of the Old World Christmas Market on Thanksgiving weekend, the Suisun City Historic Waterfront B.I.D. has partnered with the Matt Garcia Foundation to present Snow Day on the Waterfront free for children 12 and under.

Weather permitting, the snow will be available on the east end of Solano Street between Air, Land and Sea Travel and the Athenian Grill on Saturday, November 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“To have children play in the snow who may not otherwise have ever seen snow is an wonderful idea,” says Vince Guisande, foundation board member and B.I.D. member. “To the best of our knowledge, there has not been a snow event in the Fairfield-Suisun area.”

The 1,000 square foot snow park will be covered with about a foot of blown snow created using 20 tons of ice chopped on site by Glacier Ice of Fremont. The area will be fenced for safety reasons, and hay bales will be placed around the perimeter of the snow to provide seating for parents.

Depending on the outside temperature, the blown snow is expected to last three to five hours. As snow events do not work well in the rain, the event will be cancelled if there be rain in the forecast the day before the event.

The Matt Garcia Foundation is dedicated to supporting youth and helping to stop crime in order to build a stronger community in Solano County.

For more information on the event, email info@suisunwaterfront.com, or check www.suisunwaterfront.com and www.mattgarciadreamteam.org websites for the latest information.

New Street Signs Upgrade Every Suisun City Neighborhood

DISTINCTIVE SIGNS IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY & NAVIGATION

SUISUN CITY — Public Works crews are installing thousands of new street name signs on literally every street corner in Suisun City to significantly upgrade the appearance of the entire community and improve public safety.

The new signs were specifically designed to be highly visible particularly at night to provide consistent landmarks for police units and fire crews responding to calls for emergency assistance.

The variety of street name signs across various neighborhoods in the City will be replaced in the next few months with a larger, distinctive blue reflective sign style that will enable residents and visitors to easily navigate the City.

“This is a major community enhancement with significant benefits to the public safety response for Suisun City residents,” said Public Works Director Fernando Bravo. “This type of infrastructure upgrade has very positive impacts on how people move around the city and respond to Suisun City.”

City officials highlighted the need to replace all the City’s street name signs after repeated resident complaints about signs that were missing, damaged or faded to the point of being illegible.

Because the old signs were installed as subdivisions were built over several decades, the street signs were in a variety of sizes and designs making them difficult to recognize and follow.

The new signs were designed to not only be highly functional but provide an immediate and uniform symbol to residents and visitors alike that they are in Suisun City. Emblazoned with a schooner sailing on a blue background, the signs establish a clear identity for the community.

The street signs project was funded through a $125,000 state Workforce Housing Grant.

INSTALLATION SCHEDULE

Signs will be installed in 6 phases, as follows:

• Quail Glen – end of February
• Dover Terrace – first two weeks of March
• California Tapestry/Heritage Park– second two weeks of March
• Waterfront District – First two weeks of April
• Lawler Ranch – second two weeks of April
• Montebello Vista/Peterson Ranch – first two weeks of May.

Although sections may be completed, staff will evaluate each street again to make sure all street signs were replaced. All street signs should be replaced by the end of May.

SALE OF OLD STREET SIGNS

The Public Works Department will sell the old street signs that are being removed. This is intended to be a fun opportunity for residents to show their support for their community.

Two of each street name sign will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a City-run booth at the Junefest event on June 7 at Harbor Plaza for approximately $10 each. Proceeds will be deposited in the Public Works street maintenance fund.

Those interested in purchasing a sign are encouraged to visit www.suisun.com/signs for more information.

City Council Approves $1.2 million Streets Program

The City Council unanimously approved a $1.2 million street improvement program that will resurface 34 of the City's worst rated streets this summer.

The Public Works Department will use a new process that is significantly less expensive and more durable than traditional asphalt overlays to perform the work across the City. Officials targetted the streets with the lowest surface quality ratings - from 0 to 25 - to upgrade those streets in most serious need.

The resurfacing process uses recycled tires combined with a thinner layer of asphalt to create a water-tight, flexible and durable surface.

>>Click here for more on this expansive new program>>

Suisun City Council Served Recall Notices

Mayor Pete Sanchez and City Councilmembers Jane Day and Mike Hudson were served recall papers during the public comment period of Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Though many reasons were offered for the recall move, the main reason was the City Council's unanimous approval in February of the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Highway 12 and Walters Road.

The service of notice to the council members action sets in motion a process - proscribed in state law - as to how a recall effort is to be conducted. In summary, the proponents must collect sufficient signatures from registered voters living in Suisun City on a petition to qualify the issue for the ballot. Once those signatures are verified by the Solano County Registrar of Voters, the City Council is required to set the matter for an election within a specific period of time.

A special election would cost the City about $150,000 to conduct. Depending on the pace of the petition process, the matter may qualify for the November general election ballot.

The recall effort is getting wide media attention in the Daily Republic, Vacaville Reporter and ABC affiliate News 10.

Capitol Corridor hits record high ridership

Suisun City is proud to be Solano County's link to the San Francisco-Sacramento Megaregion via the Capitol Corridor commuter train.

The Capitol Corridor just reported a record-setting ridership of 1,523,630 riders from February 2007 to February 2008!

You can catch one of the 32 daily Capitol Corridor passenger trains going right through Suisun City's Waterfront District from our fully restored historic train station on Main Street.

Park right across the street all day for free, grab a cup o' joe from El Capitan Coffee Co. right in the station and you are on your way!

Check out what the Sacramento Business Journal had to say about the terrific increase in ridership!

Mayor wants Suisun City Hall open on Friday

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - Mayor Pete Sanchez would like City Hall to open again on Friday so residents can conduct business such as paying water bills.

That is one of the ideas to change City Hall hours that Suisun City management is now discussing with city employees before bringing the subject back to the City Council in April.

Officials closed City Hall on Friday in 2006 as a benefit to city employees who had gone without raises as their part in helping keep the city's budget balanced.

Sanchez broached his proposal at a recent goal-setting session.

For the full article, please visit the Daily Republic website.

Suisun City police address evidence issues

By Audrey Wong

SUISUN CITY - Police Chief Ed Dadisho has requested a state agency evaluate his department's evidence room policies after he learned of two cases in which evidence was prematurely purged.

The evidence destruction, which occurred in 2006, didn't jeopardize the cases, Dadisho said. The chief wrote a letter to Police Officer Standards and Training in February to request an audit of the evidence room. Police will act on any recommendations POST representatives make.

POST representatives will probably meet with Suisun City police in late April, POST spokesman Bob Stresak said.

For the full article, please check the Daily Republic website.

$1.2 MILLION PROGRAM TO ADDRESS WORST STREETS

CITY COUNCIL STRESSED NEED TO FIND BETTER WAY TO ADDRESS STREET CHALLENGES

SUISUN CITY — An innovative $1.2 million solution to the daunting challenge of repairing and preserving City streets will come before the City Council on Tuesday after staff was directed to find a better way to repair failing streets more quickly.

Public Works Director Fernando Bravo recommends the City start using a pavement system that is about a tenth of the cost of traditional asphalt treatments, while at the same time diverting thousands of waste tires from California’s waste stream.

The process, known as Asphalt Rubber Cape Seal, or ARCS, can add 10 to 15 years of life to severely distressed streets, even those street segments with lots of alligator cracks, at a cost much lower than traditional grind and overlay methods for a similar road life.

Rather than relying on a layer of asphalt that dries and cracks over time, the ARCS system uses a liquid binder made from recycled tires mixed with asphalt aggregate to create a durable and waterproof but flexible road surface that resists degradation over the long run.

Working in partnership with the Suisun-Solano Water Agency, the City plans to spend $1.16 million to resurface 34 of the City’s worst street segments.

To illustrate the ARCS system’s cost effectiveness, consider this example:

• Using traditional methods, the City could grind down the surface of 4 street segments and apply a 2-inch asphalt overlay – improving about 120,903-square-feet for roadway – for about $824,000.


• For the same money, the City can resurface 22 of the City’s worst street segments – improving about 1.06 million square-feet of roadway – using the ARCS system.

“This technology allows us to use the money we have to seriously upgrade our worst streets very quickly,” City Manager Suzanne Bragdon said. “It also allows us to accelerate the reconstruction of our streets in the most desperate need. Plus, we help address one of California’s toughest environmental problems: disposal of discarded vehicle tires.”

The aggressive expansion of the street repaving program follows the 70 street segments slurry sealed in 2007, as were the more comprehensive repairs to Chipman Lane and Suisun Street.

The ARCS process also will enable the City and the Suisun-Solano Water Agency to quadruple the street segments upgraded through their unique water service upgrade partnership. Suisun City and SSWA have coordinated street resurfacing with the upgraded water service connections being installed across the City. As SSWA replaced aging service mains, the City would resurface the roadway at thesame time to maximize the benefit of each agency’s expenditures.

The City and SSWA had planned to resurface 3 street segments and replace 63 water services this year through this partnership. Using ARCS, the City and SSWA will be able to resurface 12 street segments and replace 200 water services for the same cost.

Public Works plans an aggressive road resurfacing program this summer targeting most of the streets with a Pavement Condition Index rating of 0-25, the lowest possible on the scale. Those streets include segments of:

• Bald Pate Drive
• Barrows Drive
• Bering Way
• Canary Drive
• Gadwall Drive
• Golden Eye Way
• Green Wing Drive
• Humphrey Drive
• Javan Way
• Klamath Way
• Lassen Avenue
• Marcia Lane
• Pelican Way
• Ringneck Lane
• Scaup Lane
• Scoter Way
• Shoveller Drive
• Spring Street
• Tree Duck Way
• Wigeon Way
• Wesley Avenue
• Worley Road

The streets to benefit from the City/SSWA partnership include:

• Coral Lane
• Greylag Drive
• Hummingbird Lane
• Nadel Drive
• Pheasant Drive
• Pochard Way
• Red Head Lane
• Rio Verde
• Ruddy Lane
• Seagull Drive
• Whooper Way
• Woodlark Drive

The Suisun City Council will consider approving the staff recommendation at its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 18.

Suisun City's Wednesday Club offers several scholarships

From the Vacaville Reporter

The Wednesday Club of Suisun City is seeking qualified students to audition for two $500 music scholarships which the club presents each year.

The students must be a graduating high school senior planning to major in music. They also must reside in the Fairfield-Suisun area.

Students are required to be prepared to perform two selections. Any accompaniment necessary will be at the expense of the applicant. Applications must submitted by April 1.

Auditions will be held at The Wednesday Club at 4 p.m. May 1. The Wednesday Club is located at 225 Sacramento St., Suisun City.

The Anna Kyle-Isla Wright Music Scholarship has been presented for many years. Anna Kyle was a Solano County music teacher and an active Wednesday Club member. Isla Wright was Anna Kyle's cousin.

Kyle started the original Music Scholarship in memory of Isla Wright. Caroline Covey is a Fairfield area piano teacher and violinist who has also been a Wednesday Club member for many years. She was the founder and director of the choral group, The Dulcetones.

Scholarship awards will be made at the June 11 meeting of The Wednesday Club.

Applications are available at all area high schools.

For further information, call Caroline Covey at 425-0427 or Jacklyn Warner at 425-0846.

Citizens group files suit to stop Wal-Mart

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun Alliance on Thursday filed a lawsuit to overturn the City Council's approval last month of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in eastern Suisun City.

The lawsuit also seeks a retraining order to stop any work on the 227,000-square-foot retail and grocery center at Walters Road and Highway 12, according to the document filed with the Solano County courts.

Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez called the development unsurprising and anticlimactic.

"We never entertained any thought that this was going to be a breeze," Sanchez said. "It will delay this project a few months, but we are very confident that we have covered all the bases and that our final Environmental Impact Report will hold its own in court."

For the complete article, go to the Daily Republic web site.

Dinner & a Movie: The Sandlot

The Suisun City Recreation & Community Services Department is proud to present "The Sandlot," (Rated: PG; 20th Century Fox) as a Dinner & a Movie event on Friday March 28 at the Nelson Center, 611 Village Drive

This event is perfect for the entire family, though children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. with the movie rolling at 7 p.m.

The $3 admission per person includes a hot dog, drink, popcorn and frozen dessert. Additional snacks may be purchased for 50 cents per item.

For more information, call 421-7200.

Developer has big plans for Marina Shopping Center

Pellarin Enterprises has purchased the Marina Center and is planning to renovate Suisun City's oldest shopping center. Some initial design concepts were discussed initially with the City Planning Commission on Tuesday night.

No application has been filed with the City. However, the developer is seeking tenants for this exciting new project near the Suisun City Waterfront District.

If you are interested in more information about the project, contact Craig Burress aith CB Richard Ellis at craig.burress@cbbre.com or 916-446-8299.

Here's some of what the Daily Republic newspaper is reporting about this project.

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The Marina Shopping Center, Suisun City's oldest shopping center, may soon undergo a rebirth that involves extensive renovation and construction.

Redwood City-based Pellarin Enterprises unveiled what it would like to do with the aging, half-vacant shopping center to the Suisun City Planning Commission Tuesday night.


Claude Pellarin and Suisun City Community Development Director Heather McCollister stressed the proposed layout and artist's renderings shown to the commission were conceptual designs.

The extent of the renovation will depend on what tenants he can attract to fill the center, Pellarin said. He and his brother, Aaron Pellarin, plan to do the work in phases so they can work with and move existing tenants as the project develops.

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.

Calling all kayakers!

Check out this new site just for local kayaking enthusiasts - Suisunkayakers.com.

It's a great new site just for people who love to explore the Suisun Marsh by kayak, whether for fun or fitness.

Good luck on this new site. We'll check in from time to time to see how things are going!

If you know of a local blog or website you'd like to share with us, drop an e-mail or leave a comment.

Citizens group threatens suit over Wal-Mart

By Carol Bogart

SUISUN CITY - A citizens group opposed to the Wal-Mart Supercenter has engaged a Sacramento law firm to challenge the Suisun City Council's approval of the project last month.

In a letter faxed to Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez, the City Council and City Clerk Linda Hobson, the law firm of Kenyon Yeates warned that the Suisun Alliance will file a lawsuit unless the City Council rescinds its approval of the project or proposes alternative settlement terms.

The letter stated that the action will commence 'on or about March 13.'

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.