Press Releases
Mayor Recovers Quickly from Mishap in GuanajuatoDecember 10, 2008
Mayor Donohue wishes to thank constituents for their inquiries into his well-being after he was hit by a falling exhibit during his attendance at the International Sister City Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico. Mayor Donohue required minor medical attention after receiving cuts to his scalp during the festival that was hosted by Guanajuato, one of Salinas’ four sister cities.
Mayor Donohue assures constituents that he is fine, but “feeling a little sheepish. However, I want everyone to know, the booth attacked me; I did not attack the booth. I may have to wear a baseball cap for a few days to cover the hair that was shaved. But otherwise, it’s been a successful trip!”
Mayor Donohue and other delegates attended the Sister City Festival to promote economic, cultural and educational opportunities, including promoting agribusiness ties with Mexico and tourism to Salinas and Monterey County from cites around the world. Mayor Donohue will return from Guanajuato on Wednesday as scheduled.
Salinas to Start Citywide Community Engagement Program
December 9, 2008
On October 31, 2008, the City of Salinas was awarded $25,000 to fund four open dialogue meetings to discuss what are the appropriate service levels and methods of delivery within the City. This Citizen Engagement Grant Program supports municipalities, school districts and non-profit organizations throughout the state that are attempting to engage citizens in the policy-making process. Common Sense California Executive Director Pete Peterson will be attending a press conference on Thursday, December 11, 2008 on the steps of City Hall to further discuss how government officials around the state are proactively engaging their residents in policy-making, including service delivery methods and service levels.
Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue will welcome Common Sense California to Salinas and is very encouraged that resident participants will have a significant opportunity to express their opinions, particularly in light of how the ongoing budget crisis directly affects what services local government will be able to offer in the coming year(s). Mayor Donohue added, “it is important that the community be given this excellent opportunity to have this discussion in advance of City Council budget hearings and decisions.”
One example of how the grant will play a role is with the Recreation – Park Department. The Department is looking at the opportunity to include a Recreation strategic plan within the community dialogue discussion so that service levels within recreation can be discussed.
Mayor Donohue and Common Sense California Executive Director Peterson will discuss further details of the grant at the scheduled press conference on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. on the steps of City Hall.
Request for Proposals (RFP) for CDBG, HOME & ESG Funding In FY 2009-10
November 21, 2008
The City of Salinas is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) from non-profit and for-profit organizations, as well as City departments, for housing, public services and public facility projects to be funded under its FY 2009-10 HUD entitlement. For more information or to request an RFP packet, contact Koni Dearman at (831) 758-7334. The RFP is also available at City Hall, located at 200 Lincoln Avenue, Salinas, in the Housing and Community Development offices, and posted on the City’s website. The deadline for application submittal is 4:00 p.m., Thursday, January 15, 2009.
Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue commented, “These HUD entitlement grants are an important tool that’s helped our community tackle some of its most important challenges including the provision of affordable housing and youth services in the City’s most vulnerable areas.” Each year, the City of Salinas receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This current fiscal year 2008-09, a total of $3.4 million funded 23 public service agencies, 4 City department programs, the City’s housing rehabilitation and accessibility program, 3 housing projects including CHISPA’s Wesley Oaks and Sherwood Village Senior Apartments, Interim’s Sunflower Gardens, and construction of the City municipal pool facility. For the coming fiscal year the amount of available funding is anticipated to be approximately $3.3 million. Commencing in FY 2009-10, the minimum allocation for public services will be $15,000 and will only be made for senior services, youth services and fair housing activities.
Change in Mayor Donohue's Regular Press Conference Schedule to Mondays
November 14, 2008
Beginning November 17, 2008, Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue will be moving his regularly scheduled press conferences from Tuesdays to Mondays at 10:30 a.m. in the City Hall Rotunda, 200 Lincoln Avenue, Salinas.
Fasting For Peace Week
November 14, 2008
The Youth Commission will be on campus of the various middle schools and high schools in Salinas during the week of November 16-November 22 to assist the students in completing commitment cards to promote Fasting For Peace Week. The visitation of Harden Middle School today at will kick off this event. The Mayor will be available to meet with the press at 3:00pm today at Harden Middle School, 1561 McKinnon Street, Salinas.
The Students have been asked to join in Building Our City of Peace by fasting and/or performing acts of kindness. Examples include reading to others, assisting family members, neighbors or the elderly, feeding the homeless, cleaning up debris, visiting someone who is alone, speaking kind words to everyone they come in contact with etc. The Youth Commission will provide the commitment cards to be completed by the students. These cards will be collected and presented to the Mayor and City Council.
Salinas Police Enforcing Seat Belts During Holidays
November 14, 2008
The Salinas Police Department, in an effort to help bring everyone home safe for the holidays, will be aggressively enforcing the state's seat belt and child safety seat laws during a Click It or Ticket mobilization, taking place November 17-30. The campaign relies on heavy enforcement and public education as a means to help reduce deaths and injuries on California's roadways. California currently has a seat belt use rate at 95.7 percent.
The Click It or Ticket campaign has shown that Californians have gotten the message that seat belts work,” said Police Chief Daniel Ortega. 'But hundreds still are dying every year because they didn't buckle up. Our officers will not accept excuses or give warnings. It really is Click It or Ticket.”
California has a primary seat belt law which requires that every passenger in the car, including the driver, is required to wear a seat belt at all times. If stopped and found to be in violation, law enforcement will issue citations without warning. Tickets for first seat belt violations range from $80 to $91 for adults and $330 to $401 for children under age 16, depending on the county.
While we are very happy with actually surpassing 95 percent usage, that still means that more than a million people are in real danger in the event of a crash,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). 'It takes just two seconds to reduce your chances of dying in a crash by half.”
Teens and nighttime car occupants lag behind others as far as buckling up is concerned. Officer will be concentrating even more on ensuring they are properly restrained. More than 280 law enforcement agencies statewide will be participating in this year's Click It or Ticket mobilization.
Funding for officer overtime to support California's Click It or Ticket campaign was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
November 10, 2008
Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue will be conducting a press conference on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Salinas Toyota Auto Dealership in the Salinas Auto Mall, 700 Auto Center Circle, Salinas. At this press conference, Mayor Donohue will be disseminating information on Salinas’ "Buy Local" ordinance that went into effect on October 9, 2008.
The local preference purchasing ordinance provides local suppliers the opportunity to meet the lowest bid prices of any non-local suppliers in order to help stimulate the local economy. The goals of the buy local program include encouraging local institutions, businesses and consumers to join the City in spending locally.
Salinas Action Summit
November 7, 2008
Please attend the third and final Salinas Action Summit to be held at the National Steinbeck Center, Oldtown Salinas on NOVEMBER 15, 2008, and hear a presentation from Mr. Joel Kotkin on the region’s workforce capabilities and recommendations for future efforts focusing on the “NEW ECONOMY GREEN-COLLAR JOB OPPORTUNITIES”. Mr. Kotkin is an internationally recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends. This is the third of three Action Summits focused on the Salinas area and our potential for development.
Also speaking will be Mr. Jose de Jesus Legaspi addressing the “LATINO RETAIL MARKET POTENTIAL”. Mr. Legaspi spoke at the first Salinas Action Summit and received significant interest in his identification of the importance of this demographic segment as the fastest growing area of the US economy.
The final speaker at the Salinas Action Summit will be Dr. Barry D. Bruce – Professor of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, Adjunct Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Dr. Bruce will present a new approach to sustainable energy titled “PHOTOSYNTHETIC GAS & ELECTRIC: NEW TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY”. Dr. Bruce has developed a hypothesis and clinical evidence that, through the photosynthesis processing of spinach, it is possible to create a new, renewable and sustainable source of energy.
All interested persons are encouraged to attend this NO COST learning experience. Seating is limited so please contact 758.7408 to RSVP your attendance.
Salinas Action Summit
National Steinbeck Center
November 15, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Salinas Receives Common Sense California Citizen Engagement Grant
November 3, 2008
On August 26, 2008, the City Council authorized submittal of a grant application to the Common Sense California Citizen Engagement Grant Program. This program supports municipalities, school districts and non-profit organizations throughout the state that are attempting to engage citizens in the policy-making process. On October 31, 2008, the City of Salinas was awarded $25,000 to fund four open dialogue meetings to discuss what are the appropriate service levels and methods of delivery within the City.
The City’s existing pursuit of direct citizen engagement provides the foundation to begin a direct and open dialogue with citizens about service delivery methods and service levels. The participants at the civic engagement meetings will have the opportunity to see and engage each other in open dialogue. They will also have a chance to work collaboratively and to explore new and different ways that services can be delivered.
Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue welcomed the news that City administration staff was successful in putting together the grant application. The mayor added, “the timing of this grant award could not have been better given the economic downturn. The grant will allow our community a chance to deliberately discuss critical service level issues at a very important time.”
Mayor Donohue will discuss further details of the grant at the Mayor’s regularly scheduled press conference on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the City Hall Rotunda.
HUD Grant – Energy Efficiency and Green Building
October 30, 2008
On June 17, 2008, the City Council authorized submittal of an application to HUD on behalf of CHISPA’s infill single-family subdivision to be known as Wesley Oaks. The project, to be located at 132 Carr Avenue in the Hebbron Heights neighborhood, will provide 10 newly constructed single-family Energy Star certified dwellings. On September 9, 2008, the City of Salinas was awarded $250,000 in HOME Investment Partnership funds by HUD. These Funds were competitively reallocated to the City to develop energy efficient and environmentally-friendly housing for low-income families. The City’s application was one out of only six approved nationwide.
Eight of the units will be sold to first time homebuyers, with six reserved for farmworker households. Depending upon the final mix of financing, additional units may be set aside for farmworkers. CHISPA is also planning to make one or two units available to a newly-developed Monterey County Health Department program that provides rental housing to families containing a member with psychiatric disabilities. All units will be certified by an independent HOME Energy Rater, and will utilize photovoltaic panels, water conserving fixtures, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, materials from renewable sources or with recycled content, low VOC paints and sealants, and formaldehyde-free composite wood, to name a few green features.
On-line Salinas Police Department Crime Mapping Now Available
October 29, 2008
Salinas Police Department Launches On-line Crime Alerting and Mapping Service with CrimeReports.com
Citizens empowered with neighborhood crime information available 24/7/365.
The Salinas Police Department and CrimeReports.com have announced
a new On-line Crime Alerting and Mapping Service that provides easy
to read crime report maps and automated alerts to the residents of
Salinas. The service, located at http://www.crimereports.com or directly
from the Salinas Police Department website at http://www.salinaspd.com,
provides neighborhood crime data in near real-time and is available now.
The CrimeReports service is free to the public and allows citizens to receive automatic daily, weekly or monthly email alerts if/when crimes occur near their home, office, local school, etc. Citizens can also view reported crime activity on an easy to use map for any location within Salinas Police Department boundaries.
Crime incident data is updated nightly and includes:
- Incident type
- Date
- Location
- Distance from citizen's address
- Event identification/case number
- Brief crime incident description
CrimeReports.com will prove particularly valuable to those in the community who want to stay informed about what is going on in their neighborhoods and empower citizens to work with the police department to address neighborhood crime issues.
Crime alerting and mapping is just the first step in empowering citizens with critical neighborhood crime information. Later in 2008 the CrimeReports program and Salinas Police Department will introduce additional services to support community policing and neighborhood watch® programs.
Upcoming new features include:
- SMS alerting, allowing the SPD to send alerts to specific neighborhoods if specifically requested by the department.
- Neighborhood Watch tools, where residents of specific neighborhoods can contribute information;
- Video integration, allowing law enforcement to attach digital video to specific crimes when it is available
For additional information contact Commander Tracy Molfino at (831) 758-7250.
City of Salinas Makes a Big Change
October 20, 2008
New website design unveiled to improve access to local city government
On Tuesday, October 14th, 2008, the City of Salinas unveiled a website redesign, www.ci.salinas.ca.us. The main goals of this new and improved website are to be user-friendly for all audiences and to bring the website into the 21st century.
The City took into account all of its users and the types of information they want to access. The users whose needs were considered include the public, local government officials and staff, professionals who work with local government, students, and the media.
- RSS feeds for City Events, City News & Announcements, Council Agendas & Reports, Employment Opportunities, Information Bulletin, Police Department News Releases, and Press Releases. RSS feeds allow visitors to subscribe to a news feed and always have the latest City information automatically sent to their email or RSS reader
- Calendars listing City, Community, City Council, Library, Neighborhood Services, and Recreation/Special events
- Online employment applications, which can now be completed through a link to CalOpps.org
The website will be dynamic, and enhancements will be added over time to continue to improve users’ experience.
The address will remain the same at: www.ci.salinas.ca.us. The website is compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA).