Citrus Heights consumers have an opportunity to vote online for which local businesses they think deserve to win a “Best of Citrus Heights” annual award from the Chamber of Commerce.
Winners of the latest annual competition earn the right to use this logo in their business promotional material. // Courtesy, Citrus Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Featuring over 200 local businesses in a total of 34 categories this year, the Chamber’s “Best of Citrus Heights” website lets visitors vote on the best business in each category – ranging from choices between just three businesses listed in smaller categories like car washes and catering, to as many as 18 businesses in categories like automotive services.
In 2013, over 5,000 votes were cast to determine winners in 26 categories that year, with winning businesses earning the right to use the “Best of Citrus Heights” logo on their website and marketing material.
The Chamber says the competition “celebrates the best business members in good standing of the Citrus Heights Chamber in certain categories,” adding that not all Chamber categories are included, “because there are not enough members in that category to make it competitive.”
Resident Dan Heideman listens to an answer from water district staff after asking several questions during public comment, Wednesday.
Updated Nov. 21, 11:55 a.m.– Directors for the Citrus Heights Water District voted unanimously in favor of raising rates and approving a new water shortage pricing structure Wednesday night, despite receiving 72 protest letters and hearing from a handful of residents who questioned the increase.
Under approvals made Wednesday, rates will rise three percent in 2015 and District directors will have discretion to raise rates 10 percent during a Stage 3 Water Warning, and up to 55 percent under the most extreme shortage stage. Additionally, directors can now increase excess water use rates by 50 percent during a Stage 4 Water Warning, with the option of a 250 percent increase during a situation exceeding Stage 5.
Ratepayer Dan Heideman acknowledged the need for some rise in rates, calling the three percent increase “no big deal” afterwards, but said he wanted to see some cost-cutting efforts from the District during a time when they’re asking ratepayers to pay more. He cited a current District office expansion and renovation project and the proposed 2015 water district budget increasing the general manager’s $166,964 salary up to $186,132 — although the budget also shows some positions taking double-digit pay cuts.
In a September mailer, the District said rate increases were needed to offset “financial deficit created by water shortage,” and also “help encourage customers to meet use reduction goals.” It also cited a recommendation from the District’s 2013 Water Rate Study which found a three percent rate increase each year through 2018 would be necessary “to prevent the need to issue debt to cover infrastructure maintenance and replacement.”
Public comment lasted about 45 minutes, with a sole resident advocating the Board pass the higher rates, while others questioned various aspects of water use and rate proposals.
“What more can we cut?” ratepayer Pam Pinkston asked District officials, saying she’d have to cut even more than she already has in order to avoid being hit with excess use charges. “I can let my grass die, but I can’t stop watering my fruit trees.”
<<Want to know what warning stage we’re in now, or how much water CHWD users have been conserving this year? See story: WATER: Citrus Heights usage drops 21% >>
District staff called the new water shortage rate structure a necessary “tool in the toolbox,” saying it’s a problem if they “don’t have a way to ration at the meter or the pocketbook.” They also clarified to directors that water shortage rates could be set lower, at the discretion of the Board, but not higher.
Although initially commenting the shortage rates sounded “a bit punitive,” Board President Allen Dains cast his vote in favor of the rate increases. He was joined by his colleague Director Caryl Sheehan, while recently re-elected Joseph Dion was absent from the meeting.
The three percent rate increase will go into effect January 1, 2015, but water shortage rates will not be implemented unless voted on by the board at a future date during a Stage 3 Water Warning level or higher.
Updated Nov. 19, 7:29 a.m.–
In a 4-0 vote Tuesday night, San Juan Unified School District board members made the controversial decision to move students from Sylvan Middle School over to the adjacent Citrus Heights Elementary campus in 2016, rejecting an alternative proposal to rebuild the aging school for an estimated cost of $44 million.
Prior story, updated Nov. 18, 11:15 a.m.–
San Juan Unified School District board members are set to take final action Tuesday night on the superintendent’s controversial recommendation to move students from an aging Sylvan Middle School campus over to a modernized Citrus Heights Elementary facility, and move existing elementary students over to a consolidated K-5 school at Carriage Drive Elementary.
The proposal has drawn fire from parents who advocate rebuilding Sylvan school, with about a dozen people speaking out against the superintendent’s recommendation at an October board meeting. They have also brought the matter up during public comment at several city council meetings, emphasizing Sylvan’s history in the community and citing concerns about displacing students — particularly those with special needs.
Highlighting declining enrollment and an estimated rebuild cost of over $44 million, Superintendent Kent Kern has rejected the rebuild proposal in favor of his modernization-and-consolidation plan — a plan estimated to cost less than half the amount to rebuild the school, according to recommendation documents included in the Board’s October 28 agenda packet.
The proposed $18.3 million modernization at Citrus Heights Elementary would provide for additional facilities, including four new science labs, a music room and restrooms. It would also include interior and exterior modernization, expansion of parking and drop-off areas, and several other facility updates, according to Board documents.
Board members have not revealed how they would ultimately vote, but recently re-elected board member Greg Paulo expressed some skepticism as to the accuracy of the numbers — citing past experience with San Juan High School renovation estimates, according to the October 28 meeting’s draft minutes. His colleague Saul Hernandez commented that the school would not be closing, but rather moving “200 yards” over to the Citrus Heights Elementary campus.
If approved, consolidation of the two elementary schools would begin with the 2015-16 school year, and Sylvan students would move over to the nearby modernized Citrus Heights Elementary beginning with the 2016-17 school year, according to the recommendation on the November 18 meeting agenda. Existing Sylvan school facilities would either be demolished or used for other District programs and services.
Discussion about a possible closure of Sylvan began after the school received a “D-” grade from a District-wide DLR Group facility assessment. The report also found around “$1.5 billion in ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ projects” across the District, in addition to $400 million in ongoing projects.
Updated Nov. 12, 10:16 p.m.–
Following a close race, or just want to know which ballots are left to be counted?
Minutes after polls closed, workers at a Citrus Heights precinct count up still-sealed vote-by-mail ballots dropped off on election day.
The Sacramento County Registrar of Voters office estimates it still has around 19,000 unprocessed vote-by-mail and provisional ballots left to count — with additional votes possibly swinging the final outcome for close races like San Juan Unified School District’s board election, where Michael McKibbin currently holds less than a one percent lead over Michael Miller.
Understanding the vote-count process:
Numbers released on election night are part of what’s called a “semifinal official canvass,” and include only “tallying of early-returned vote-by-mail ballots,” as well as any ballots cast in-person at a voting precinct, according to the California Secretary of State’s (SOS) website. Legally, officials can begin counting early-returned ballots seven days prior to the election.
Following this initial canvass, an “official canvass” must be completed within 28 days of the close of the election, during which election officials will process and count provisional ballots cast on election day, as well as any valid vote-by-mail ballots that were received on election day — or ones received prior to election day, but not counted in time to be included in the initial canvass.
The numbers of additional ballots counted after election night can be significant, as one precinct in Citrus Heights reported 201 ballots cast in-person at the polls on November 4, and 107 vote-by-mail ballots dropped off.
Statewide, ballots not included in the semifinal election-night results can be as many as 500,000 to 1,000,000, according to the SOS website.
Citrus Heights city council leaders unanimously voted Thursday to oppose California’s Proposition 47, following a recommendation by Police Chief Christopher Boyd about the controversial ballot measure which seeks to reduce penalties for certain nonviolent drug and property crimes.
Citrus Heights Mayor Mel Turner with Police Chief Christopher Boyd, recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month, just prior to voting to oppose Prop 47, Thursday.
“Obviously we have to support you,” said Citrus Heights Mayor Mel Turner after the chief highlighted concerns about crime increasing and requested the council officially go on record against Prop 47. “This makes a lot of sense.”
Calling Prop 47 “dangerous to our communities,” Chief Boyd told the council the measure would “virtually assure” the release of 10,000 inmates and would reduce the penalty for stealing guns from a felony to a misdemeanor, as long as the gun is valued under $950. He also highlighted his concern that the measure would reduce felony drug possession sentences to misdemeanors — including possession of date-rape drugs.
Officially titled “The Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act,” Prop 47 has drawn the support of the California Democratic Party, the California Teacher’s Association and newspapers like the LA Times — with San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón leading the effort to pass the Proposition. Advocates say the measure would keep prison space from being “wasted on low-level nonviolent crimes,” and would redirect money from prison-spending to schools and treatment.
The nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office says, if passed, savings “could reach the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually” and that savings would go toward school truancy and dropout prevention, as well as mental health, substance abuse treatment, and services for victims.
Although calling the aspect of funding schools and treatment “noble in its intention,” Chief Boyd, who also serves as head of the California Police Chiefs Association, said the effect of more criminals on the streets wouldn’t be worth it — and councilmembers agreed.
“What concerns me is that it doesn’t take into effect the impact that the release of these people will have among the community,” said councilmember Jeannie Bruins just before casting her vote. “We know they’re going to re-commit (crime).”
Citrus Heights joins with several other cities and groups like the California Republican Party and the California Peace Officers Association in denouncing Prop 47.
By Dwight Burdette (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsDid you vote at a polling location on Tuesday? If so, the Sacramento County Elections Department wants to hear about your voting experience.
A new survey posted on the elections department website seeks voter feedback on questions ranging from how long it took to cast a ballot, to how satisfied voters were with poll station workers.
Taking about a minute to complete, all but two of the survey’s 13 questions are multiple choice. The two questions that allow extended comments have a space for voters to write in their own comments about their experience on Tuesday, and also a spot for suggestions on new polling place locations for future elections.
Although over half of Sacramento County voters are now registered to vote by mail, the survey questions focus on the experience of voters who went to the polls in person during the 2014 June Primary Election.
With the primary election coming up in just over a month, Citrus Heights voters can expect to receive their sample ballot pamphlets in the mail this week — if they haven’t already — according to a press release by the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters.
An April 28 report by the Registrar’s office shows that Citrus Heights has 40,892 voters, with Republicans leading in voter registration totals.
The report reveals that Republicans hold about 41 percent of registered voters in the city, compared to 34 percent who registered as Democrats. The remaining 25 percent are registered as either “no party preference,” or a third party.
Voters who do not receive a sample ballot this week can check their voter registration status online to make sure they are registered to vote before the May 19 deadline.
The Registrar’s office reminds voters that they must re-register any time they move, change names, or wish to change political party affiliation. This can be done using a form on the California Secretary of State’s website that now allows citizens to easily register or re-register online.
Sample ballots also include an application to receive a vote-by-mail ballot, for those who prefer to vote from home instead of showing up at a polling place on election day. Those registered to vote by mail will begin receiving their official voting ballots starting next week, and must turn them in by mail or in person by June 3 at 8 p.m.
Vote-by-mail ballots can be dropped off in person at several locations throughout the county, including Citrus Heights city hall from May 19 through May 31, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
![By Dwight Burdette (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://citrusheightssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/I_Voted_Sticker.jpg)
