A classroom full of tweens frantically sketched out monstrous torsos, hands, heads, and assorted tentacle-like appendages on Thursday morning with a simple goal in mind: To create the coolest-looking alien in the class.

As arms were bound to bodies with brass brads, extraterrestrial figures took form and joined the solar systems, starscapes, and out of this world pottery that cluttered an alcove of the War Memorial.

These intergalactic artists - along with a gaggle of 5- to 7-year olds decorating circus-themed puppets just a few doors down - were sent on their artistic odysseys as a part the first week of the City of Turlock’s summer youth art classes.

Students of the Mini Picassos and Creative Studio classes were given the opportunity to explore a variety of artistic mediums and techniques throughout the week-long sessions, ranging from mosaics to print making. The only unifying threads for the classes were predefined themes of Space Exploration for the Creative Studio and Three-Ring Circus for the Mini Picassos.

“These classes are not set up to be art instruction where you sit down and learn how to draw a still-life,” said Turlock Arts Facilitator Lisa McDermott. “These really are about letting kids explore their own ideas and creative impulses.”

The classes’ curriculum calls for as many as three different art projects each day, though instructors dynamically modify the agenda to keep children excited.

McDermott related a tale from a dinosaur-themed session a few years back when students were asked to make puppets one day. Excitement about puppetry spread throughout the classroom, and the hour-long activity quickly stretched to two days as students jumped at the prospect of constructing a set and staging a puppet play.

“The kids were being creative in a way that mattered to them,” McDermott said, “not being forced into doing things a certain way.”

Themes for the remainder of the summer range from “Sand ‘n Surf” to “Myths & Legends,” offering topics that could pique the interest of just about any curious child. For those children who refuse to be constrained by any predefined ideas and just want to run wild with their imaginations, “Creation Lab” sessions offer even more free form artistic instruction with no set themes.

There are six more sessions of the City of Turlock’s youth art classes this summer, the last of which wraps up Aug. 6. McDermott said the city has seen a strong demand for the programs, now in their sixth year, and waiting lists have already been established for the next two weeks of classes.

While the strong demand can be attributed to children’s enjoyment of the program, as many sign up for subsequent weeks after their first taste of the classes, parents seem to enjoy the program too. After all, where else can rambunctious, artistic youth find a place - other than their parents’ walls - to practice their painting this summer?

“It’s a controlled crazy and it’s a creative crazy,” McDermott said of the classes, with a laugh.

Classes cost $60 and run from 9 a.m. until noon Monday through Thursday.

To enroll in Turlock youth art classes, visit www.cityofturlock.org, call 668-5594, or stop by the Recreation Division offices at 301 Starr Ave. between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/26/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

While the precipitous decline in housing values certainly isn’t creating too many happy homeowners in the Central Valley, there is one bright spot amid the doom and gloom - property taxes will be lower this year for almost half of Stanislaus County residents, based on the newly released 2009-2010 Regular Assessment Roll.

Unfortunately for local governments, that bright spot only exacerbates income problems; Stanislaus County taxpayers alone will contribute about $30 million less than last year as a result of reduced assessments.

The 2009-2010 assessment roll, which includes more than 181,000 roll units of real property and business assessments, is the basis upon which property taxes are levied. Assessment value is established when property is purchased and generally remains unchanged except for a 2 percent annual inflation adjustment or when new construction occurs on a property.

“Because of this your assessed value is almost always lower than the current market value by some degree,” said Stanislaus County Assessor Doug Harms. “However, in a declining market it is possible that the current market value of your property could dip below the assessed value of your property. In these cases the Assessor is required to compare your assessed value with the current market value of your property as of Jan. 1 each year.”

The total countywide assessed value has fallen more than $3 billion, or almost 8 percent, from last year. The decline, which Harms attributes to the downturn in the real estate market, is believed to the largest since at least the Great Depression, and is only the second reduction in assessed value since 1992.

“The 2009-20100 assessment roll, while lower than the 2008-2009 assessment roll, will still generate roughly $369 million in revenue to be shared by schools, the county, cities and special districts,” said Harms.

Values on the assessment roll are determined in accordance to provisions in Proposition 13, Proposition 8, or the California Land Conservation Act. Property owners whose value has changed for any reason, save for the annual 2 percent inflation adjustment, will be notified by mail in July.

The newly assessed values will be used to determine Dec. 10 and April 10, 2010, property taxes.

Unfortunately for Turlockers, the city’s residents will see the lowest total reduction in assessment value in the county, with a total drop in value of just 3.53 percent. Newman suffered the largest drop in the county in assessed value, falling almost 18 percent.

While the tax cuts may not be as deep in Turlock as in most of the county, they will be wide-ranging. Just under half of the city’s residents, 47.5 percent of properties, will experience some fall in taxes.

“The cuts in staffing combined with our increasing workload made this a difficult year,” Harms said. “The staff, however, worked diligently to complete their duties and, because of their hard work, many property owners will benefit from an equitable assessed value, which in many cases will lead to reduced property taxes.”

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/26/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

The 2009-2010 Turlock Redevelopment Agency budget adopted late Tuesday evening looks to send $27.8 million of funding around the city to projects such as the Carnegie Arts Center, a Columbia Park water feature, and a proposed overhaul of Turlock High School’s Joe Debely Stadium.

The $2.8 million of funding earmarked for the Joe Debely project could be the most controversial of the council’s decisions Tuesday evening. Formal discussions between the Turlock Unified School District and the City of Turlock about the renovation have yet to occur.

“I think this is a good project,” Vice Mayor Ted Howze said. “I would ask that this body include this project in the budget to at least placeholder the funds to pass it on to the school district for consideration.”

TUSD would be required to relinquish control of the stadium to the city in order for redevelopment money to be used. Additionally, the city must expand the current RDA boundaries in order to spend money on the stadium, which is outside the allowed area in which RDA money may be spent.

According to the City of Turlock Web site, “The Turlock Redevelopment Agency was established to assist in eliminating blight from specific designated areas of the city by redeveloping, reconstructing and rehabilitating.”

The redevelopment money could go toward installing artificial turf on the field and refurbishing the track. As the district would only enter into formal discussions with the city after funding was offered, Turlock remains unsure if TUSD is interested in such a refurbishment.

The Carnegie Arts Center was allocated $4 million in RDA tax increment funding on Tuesday evening, but that funding is contingent upon the drafting of a workable operation and maintenance plan.

“What we’ve lacked here is an ability to come to a workable business plan,” Councilwoman Amy Bublak said. “That’s our last stumbling block here.”

Bublak went on to state that such a plan was required of Turlock’s BMX Bike Park before approval, and that the Carnegie is a project on a much grander scale.

Different councilmembers had different interpretations on what a workable business plan for the Carnegie could entail, ranging from Howze’s vision that no wedding receptions or similar private events should be held at the Carnegie to Councilwoman Mary Jackson’s request that $600,000 raised by the Carnegie Arts Center Foundation be used as an endowment for a nonprofit operator.

Also on the RDA budget for next year is a Columbia Park water feature, similar to the spray park in Broadway Park. The water park will be paid for with $200,000 of RDA money and $200,000 of Community Development Block Grant funding.

A plan to construct a new downtown parking lot received $2 million in RDA funding.

At least $365,000 would be spent to build a 33-space lot. That cost does not include an additional $140,000 to $280,000 in demolition costs, as well as the expense of purchasing four buildings, two of which are listed for sale at $1.2 million.

The parking lot will likely require further funding before it is completed.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/26/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

The Turlock City Council unanimously agreed to add the Seated For Safety Car Seat program, a Turlock Fire and Emergency Services initiative, to the roster of programs receiving Turlock Community Development Block Grant funding in the 2009-2010 fiscal year during their Tuesday meeting.

While the other nine nonprofits previously selected as grant recipients will still receive funding following the decision, all will receive less than previously allocated

Second Harvest Food Bank, Children’s Crisis Center of Stanislaus County, Howard Training Center, Turlock Recreation Division, Turlock Family Network Inc., We Care Program, and Turlock Unified School District will all receive $1,000 less than had been allocated by the CDBG committee. United Samaritans Foundation programs will take a $2,000 hit.

West Main shopping center approved

The City Council unanimously approved a proposed commercial center at 1400 West Main St. on Tuesday evening, clearing the path for the new development to proceed.

The plan calls for the renovation of two warehouse buildings into a wedding hall, an entertainment and events center, an ice cream warehouse and parlor, and other retail space. The development is expected to cater to the Hispanic community.

The 6,000 square foot wedding facility is expected to open only on Saturdays and Sundays, while the 12,500 square foot events center is expected to host business events and festivals on Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

Wasden sworn in, Hampton honored

The new Turlock City Manager Roy W. Wasden was officially sworn into office at Tuesday evening’s Turlock City Council meeting, kicking off a new era in Turlock leadership. Wasden thanked city staff for their hard work in getting him up to speed quickly, but acknowledged that he still has much work to do.

“I am delighted to be here, what an adventure this is,” Wasden said shortly after accepting his oath of office. “… We have important things we need to accomplish and I’m just looking forward to getting those things done.”

Turlock Police Chief Gary Hampton, who served as Interim City Manager for the past six months following former City Manager Tim Kerr’s dismissal during a regularly scheduled performance review on Jan. 13, was also honored on Tuesday evening.

Hampton was gifted with a plaque to commemorate his service to the city, while his wife received flowers for putting up with the long hours Hampton has been subject to for half a year.

The entire audience in the packed City Hall Yosemite Room saluted Hampton for his service with a standing ovation.

Hampton spoke well of his time as Interim City Manager and commended the City Council, but was glad to be returning to his post as Chief of Police.

“Mr. Mayor, I’m not going anywhere,” Hampton said. “As long as you’ll have me as your police chief I plan to stay here.”

Johnson Road fence discussion comes to end

A year-long governmental battle over new fences in one historic Turlock neighborhood came to a close on Tuesday evening, as a proposed Planned Development failed due to a lack of a motion.

The motion required three affirmative votes to carry. Mayor John Lazar and Councilwoman Mary Jackson recused themselves from the discussion due to conflicts of interest as both own properties in the proposed Planned Development area.

Councilwoman Amy Bublak opposed the Planned Development, while Councilman Kurt Spycher was in favor of the proposal. As Vice Mayor Ted Howze was serving as the Mayor given Lazar’s absence and was by rule unable to make or second a motion, there was no second to the motion and the Planned Development failed by default.

Howze and Spycher both expressed disdain with the Planning Department, whom they believe misled Ian McBay, owner of 1000 N. Johnson Rd., into constructing a fence which extended approximately five feet farther toward the curb than is allowed by city code. When a neighbor complained about the new fence, the city then told McBay to tear down the fence.

McBay appealed the Code Enforcement decision to the City Council on Aug. 26, 2008. The council instructed city staff to allow the fence to stand by way of a Planned Development on Nov. 18, 2008.

The Planning Commission voted to deny the Planned Development, in keeping with city staff recommendation, on May 7, and the final vote on the matter was before the council on Tuesday evening.

McBay will now be forced to rework his fence to stand just 3 feet tall in the area outside of his allowed fencing zone, and has said he will plant a tall hedge behind the short fence to create a similar effect to the current construction.

“We want our neighbors to be happy with the fence, but ultimately we want to be happy with it too,” McBay said.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/26/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

Remember when you were a child, playing outside on one of those hot summer days, and all of a sudden music started faintly lilting across your front yard?

At first you might have dismissed it, attributed the sound to some radio or record player. But then the noise of neighbor children screaming became audible. The music gradually grew louder and louder.

And, then, the ice cream truck rounded the corner on to your block and you ran inside to beg your parents for a dollar.

Whether you ordered an Astro Pop, a Mickey Mouse head on a stick, or a strawberry shortcake bar, ice cream that came from a truck just tasted a little sweeter than the sort that came from your parents’ freezer. It was a special treat, the sort of thing that could brighten your whole day.

It may seem amazing, but my life is still made better at the sight of a food-bearing truck, even today. Though, where once a snow cone would raise my spirits, I now burst out in toothy smiles at the mention of super burritos, falafels, and sometimes even corn dogs. But it wasn’t always like this.

You see, over the years, somehow, I lost my appreciation for the humble ice cream truck and its kin. I delved into the world of fine dining, thumbing my nose at vehicular eateries for what would be my dining dark period.

After all, I thought, why would I want to eat a Drumstick from a grimy old mail truck when I could have a slice of tiramisu? Or perhaps some berries and zabaglione? Or even a slice of black tie cheesecake?

As a friend of mine once told me, “liking expensive things just means you have good taste.”

Unfortunately, that sort of “good taste” isn’t something that’s very practical on a journalist’s salary.

Sure, the best Turlock meal I’ve ever eaten was at Bistro 234. I salivate to this day just thinking about it.

Picture a petit filet mignon, perfectly cooked to medium rare, wrapped in bacon and drizzled with creamy gorgonzola butter and sprouts. Imagine meat so tender that it melts in your mouth as the flavors of cheese and bacon intertwine, conducting a spirited yet delicate symphony across your taste buds.

And then imagine the bill coming at the end of the meal. While Bistro is by no means overpriced when you consider the quality, my meager paychecks make frequent fine dining an impossibility.

Fortunately, thanks to a past Journal graphic designer, I relearned the simple majesty of truck-based foods.

I remember one day he walked in with a aluminum foil wrapped cylinder, sitting on a paper plate with two slices of lime. My stomach rumbling, I peered over as he unwrapped an enormous burrito and bit in, unleashing amazing scents of asada, onions, spices, and cilantro across the office.

I casually strolled over to his desk and asked him where he’d found such an amazing piece of cuisine.

Imagine my amazement when he responded, “Oh, at the taco truck just down Center Street.”

The next day I went down to the taco truck, forked over $4.50, and sat down with my first taco truck burrito. I was immediately struck by the bold, simple flavors, the delicious, raw nature of the meal.

Where my meal at Bistro was a concerto, the taco truck food was a punk rock song. Restricted by a small kitchen, powered by just a few propane burners, the taco truck made do with just a handful of simple ingredients but extracted all the flavor out of each one.

Sure, the flavors aren’t quite as refined as an aged filet mignon, but the taco trucks capture a certain joy of cooking that seems buried beneath carefully calculated flavor profiles at fine dining establishments.

From the day of my first burrito forward, I’ve been a truck junkie. I eat at taco trucks, Greek trucks, and pretty much any food vendor with wheels across the city of Turlock.

The food is simple, yet powerful. Inexpensive, yet delicious.

Sure, you might turn your nose up at the idea of eating food made in a truck. But I’d be willing to wager that I see you in line at the Stanislaus County Fair next month, waiting next to a wheeled kitchen for some deep-fried delicacy.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com, call 634-9141 ext. 2005, or hang out at Silva’s Taco Truck for long enough and he’ll probably show up.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/24/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

The Housing Element Update, a plan that will prepare the City of Turlock to meet housing needs through 2014, reached the next milestone in the planning process on June 18 as local residents gathered at City Hall for a workshop to hammer out particulars how the town can meet the needs of the elderly, poor, and homeless.

Some successful programs are slated to return, including first-time homebuyer loans, home rehabilitation loans, and mobile home rent subsidies, while several major new initiatives are also on the table to encourage development of reasonably-priced housing.

“It’s clear that the market in Turlock has not been producing housing affordable to low and very low income families,” said Sophie Martin, planner with San Francisco firm Dyett & Bhatia.

The most controversial of the proposed new initiatives is an Affordable Housing Impact Fee, which would require developments with no affordable units to pay a small fee to the city’s housing fund. That fund would then be used to reduce costs for affordable housing projects, possibly to reduce permitting costs.

“We feel it’s necessary, but we’re not quite there yet with what that program should be,” Martin said.

Representatives from the Building Industry of America lobbied that Turlock embrace incentives for affordable housing, rather than penalties, offering bonuses for density, mixed use developments, or the ability to earn fast tracking for projects that partner with a non-profit to produce affordable housing. Turlock Planning Manager Debbie Whitmore stated that the city already offers density bonuses, but that the program is not well advertised.

Other new programs on the table include an initiative to purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed homes, a land banking program that would acquire land for affordable housing, and targeted reinvestment programs that direct funds from multiple sources toward neighborhoods most in need. The city is also looking to pursue the incorporation of county islands, which would increase the land supply for housing.

The Housing Element also calls for numerous new programs to improve interaction with local service providers, such as a program to coordinate with low-wage employers to offer housing assistance information and job training information. A Request for Proposals process could be implemented as well, which would help organizations learn about and access city-housing funds.

The final new initiative being bandied about in the Housing Element Update would provide housing and services for the homeless, creating a by-right zoning area where emergency year-round shelters could be constructed. According to city staff, that zoning area would have to be implemented within the next year to comply with current state legislation.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/24/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

The Merced County Board of Supervisors hope a resolution passed last week will get Washington, D.C., moo-ving forward to provide relief for troubled California dairy producers.

The unanimously approved resolution calls for an increase in the dairy support price to reflect current production costs, the implementation of fair tariffs on unregulated imported dairy solids, mandated market transparency, and the establishment of a milk inventory management program.

“Since January, California dairy families have lost more than $1 billion and are struggling to survive the worst economic downturn in their history,” said California Dairy Campaign Executive Director Kevin Abernathy. “We applaud the Merced County Board of Supervisors for taking action to address the growing dairy crisis that is having a ripple effect on businesses throughout California.

“We further commend the board for offering concrete solutions to end the crisis that has continued for so many months now,” Abernathy continued.

According to the California Dairy Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture dairy support program is currently based on the price of production from 30 years ago, while costs have risen substantially. Dairy producers are currently contending with a cost of production that is almost twice government support levels.

In the dairy-centric Central Valley, many counties are standing up and taking notice of the plight of dairy farmers. Kings County is already considering a resolution similar to the one adopted by Merced County, while Madera, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties are in the process of agendizing similar resolutions as well, according to the California Dairy Commission.

“We’ve definitely had a lot of interest because I think local officials are realizing just how bad this dairy issue is,” said Lynne McBride with the California Dairy Commission.

Washington officials took action earlier this year to help dairy farmers who have seen a 50 percent drop in the value of milk in a year and a similar decline in the worth of dairy cows.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced April 1 that producers participating in the USDA’s Milk Income Loss Contract program would receive subsidies to help offset the low price of milk.

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that approximately 200 million pounds of nonfat dry milk would be transferred from the Commodity Credit Corporation to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services for use in domestic feeding programs. The move was expected to help clear stockpiled inventory and give dry milk prices a chance to recover, but according to the California Dairy Commission, the government has not yet done enough to help local dairymen.

“We were really supportive of Secretary Vilsack’s decision to donate nonfat dried powdered milk, but we think significantly more needs to be done to have an impact,” McBride said.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/24/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

Turlock large family daycare providers turned out in full force for a special Planning Commission workshop on June 18 to discuss a set of harsher rules that could be imposed on new operators in town.

A proposed city ordinance would prevent new large family daycares from being sited within 300 feet of existing operators; require a minimum of two parking spaces for residents, one space for each assistant, and one space for loading and unloading of passengers; and allow city inspections at any time during regular business hours. Large family daycares would additionally be required to pay business license taxes, which would amount to approximately $60 per year.

Also, play areas would be required to be clearly delineated by fences, landscaping, or other materials constructed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and front yards could no longer be used as play areas.

According to numerous large family daycare providers in the audience, while existing providers are exempt from the ordinance these onerous new restrictions are likely to discourage future providers from opening up shop in Turlock.

“Burdensome and expensive zoning restrictions on family day care homes diminish the number of licensed providers and cause new providers to remain underground and unlicensed, thus making safe, monitored care less available to parents seeking care for their children,” said Joy Johnson, who has operated a large family daycare in Turlock for more than 20 years.

Stanislaus County already has a dearth of licensed child care slots, ranking second lowest among all counties in the state. There are only 21 active large family daycares in Turlock, offering only 294 slots for children as large family daycares can only care for a maximum of 14 children.

Providers were concerned that the new rules would create a competitive advantage for small family daycares - those with less than eight children - which operate under a different set of state regulations. The city is barred from imposing restrictions on small family daycares.

According to the city, the new restrictions were not devised to make it more difficult to do business but were instead intended to clarify and simplify the myriad rules governing large family daycares, while adding in a few additional restrictions to prevent any future problems with businesses, which exist in residential neighborhoods.

“We’re talking about education and transparency,” Planning Manager Debbie Whitmore said. “What we’ve had through the past several years are complaints that we don’t make everyone aware of all the regulations that apply to their businesses.”

The most contentious of the new restrictions - the restriction on new large family daycares within 300 feet of an existing operator and the requirement of additional parking spaces - could be circumvented under the new plan with the use of a Conditional Use Permit or permission from the Community Development Director, according to the city.

The planning commissioners expressed appreciation for the input on the proposed ordinance, and are expected to make some revisions before the final draft is adopted.

“I think we got a great education on the items that are of concern for you and some of the items that we obviously need to consider going forward,” said Planning Commission Vice Chair Jeanine Bean. “We obviously needed you here tonight to get a good feel for your concerns and the city’s concerns so we can move forward.”

The Planning Commission is expected to consider the final ordinance amendment at their Aug. 6 meeting.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/24/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

BY ALEX CANTATORE

A proposed formal investigation into Councilwoman Mary Jackson’s alleged leak of Roy Wasden’s candidacy for city manager will not occur, following a City Council commitment late Tuesday evening to, “uphold the utmost level of confidentiality and to unanimously call for swift investigations of any future leaks, should they occur.”

According to City Attorney Phaedra Norton, the request to initiate a formal investigation into Jackson’s alleged transgression - leaking closed session, privileged information of the three final candidates for Turlock city manager - was placed on Tuesday’s agenda at the request of a majority of councilmembers.

Councilman Ted Howze was the most vocal in calling for the formal investigation in the days leading up to Tuesday’s meeting, stating that he “believe(d) a proper investigation (was) necessary to ensure unwarranted accusations are not levied against a councilmember and necessary to allow this council to move forward with future city business in a professional manner.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, however, Howze proposed an alternative that he believed would allow council to proceed with business while maintaining a required level of closed session meeting confidentiality.

“Asking to agendize a discussion of investigating confidential information leaks is not a decision taken lightly by any member of this body,” Howze said. “… With that said, several attempts to solve this issue behind closed doors has failed and we are still left with the dilemma of finding a way to put a stop to the recent string of confidential information leaks from the Council’s closed sessions.”

Howze offered two options for council consideration, to either pledge to uphold confidentiality in all future closed session circumstances and promptly investigate any future transgressions or to move forward with the agendized motion of launching an investigation of the leak.

“I like option one,” said Councilwoman Amy Bublak. “I think that’s a great way to start.”

All members of council agreed to accept the first option. Jackson indicated that she supported the pledge as it would save the city money, and also said she believed that the councilmembers had already made a similar pledge upon taking the Oath of Office in December 2008.

The alleged leak first came to light at the June 9 Turlock City Council meeting, during which an agenda item called for discussion on the confidentiality of matters addressed within closed session meetings. A formal investigation was discussed at that time, but debate was tabled at the advisement of Norton as such an action was not on the agenda.

While Jackson was not identified as the source of the leak on that date, a confidential memo requested by the Journal and penned by Mayor John Lazar revealed Jackson’s name in relation to the leak. The memo stated that Lazar conducted a private investigation and found “there to be no legitimacy to the contention that the Council Member (Jackson) leaked information as to the identity of the candidates for city manager.”

However, the City of Turlock Code of Conduct for Elected Officials calls for such investigations to be performed by the city manager and / or city attorney, and does not grant the authority for the mayor to perform such actions.

Applause broke out in the standing room only audience when the council elected to put the formal investigation behind them and focus on the pressing issues facing the City of Turlock.

“I commend Councilmember Howze on making his proposal tonight,” Lazar said. “It was very timely, and, as Councilmember (Kurt) Spycher said, I look forward to pressing the reset button and working constructively with council.”

In other council news, the proposed $15 increase in all parking citation fines was approved, while an initiative to adopt a Planned Development governing fence construction standards in an east Turlock neighborhood died for lack of a motion. Additionally, the council revised the Annual Action Plan to include funding for a Turlock Fire Department sponsored car seat safety program by reducing funding levels for nine other local nonprofits.

As of the Journal’s deadline, the council, acting as the Turlock Redevelopment Agency, had yet to adopt the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Redevelopment Agency budget. However, the agencymembers agreed to fund the reconstruction of the Carnegie Arts Center despite concerns over operating costs and a workable business plan for the building.

“Read my lips,” Howze said. “I’ll vote for (the Carnegie) at $5.28 million. That’s only one hurdle.

“I will vote to build this project as soon as a group steps forward who wants to assume the burden of operation and maintenance,” Howze continued. “… We can’t afford to operate a city owned shoeshine stand outside, let alone any other business.”

Full coverage of the RDA budget and the remainder of the Turlock City Council meeting will be available in the Saturday issue of the Journal.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/24/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.

The proposed reconstruction of the Carnegie Arts Center now looks like it will cost less than the Turlock City Council ever imagined, as the lowest bid submitted tallied just $5.3 million, more than $2 million less than the $7.7 million in funding identified for the project in October 2007.

A total of 15 bids for the Carnegie project were submitted to Turlock City Hall on Thursday, the highest of which came in at $6.2 million. Applegate Johnston, Inc., of Modesto submitted the low bid of $5.3 million.

“I think (the lower than expected bid) makes the future a lot brighter and I think it makes the project a lot more feasible,” said new Turlock City Arts Commission Chairman Dustin Soiseth. “The bids came in almost $2.5 million less than what the architect predicted, so that means with the funds available … a lot of the ancillary costs associated with the building will be able to be covered by that money.”

The City of Turlock will confirm all bids to ensure they were properly filed and accurately represent all costs associated with construction before taking the proposals to the City Council for a July 14 vote.

One vote on the future of the Carnegie Arts Center will fall before the council on Tuesday night, however, as the board will sit as the Redevelopment Agency to consider the agency’s proposed 2009-2010 budget.

The RDA has already expended $848,000 on the Carnegie reconstruction and $3 million more is requested as a part of next year’s budget. As a part of the RDA budget Recreation Division staff have estimated the net city staffing and maintenance costs in the Carnegie’s first year of operation to be $1,450 after factoring in anticipated revenues.

The future of the Carnegie is still somewhat in doubt following a May 5 RDA meeting where agency members were asked to reprioritize project funding and two of five members did not list the renovation as a priority. Additionally, some questions remain as to how the arts center will be operated without full-time staffing after Arts Facilitator Lisa McDermott was dismissed during the most recent Turlock budget cycle.

“At this point we’re adjusting to the loss of Lisa (McDermott) and we’re just waiting for the dust to settle,” Soiseth said. “I know all the city departments are making adjustments, so we’re taking a step back and assessing what our resources are and seeing what programs we can maintain.”

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 6/19/2009.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.