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City of Citrus Heights leaders list 88 accomplishments from past 6 months

Sentinel staff report–
As part of the city’s semi-annual strategic planning and review, leaders at Citrus Heights City Hall last month brainstormed a list of 88 accomplishments made over the past six months, ranging from boosting Police Department funding to adopting a new fireworks ordinance and resurfacing sections of 14 streets.

Below is a complete list of the 88 accomplishments posted on the city website, from the city’s Sept. 21 Strategic Plan meeting. Some items listed are worded similarly and reflect the same accomplishment.

  • Adopted Two-year Budget and Five-year Capital Improvement Plan
  • Received first half of American Rescue Plan Act funding
  • Developed and partially implemented step compensation system
  • ARPA funding received
  • 2021 Street resurfacing project
  • New Police Chief
  • PBID Renewal
  • Through Court appointed receivership process, converted several blighted homes into code compliant residential properties
  • Won several Pitchess Motions – thus protecting confidential police officer personnel records
  • Urgency fireworks ordinance, which helped protect the community

Related: Citrus Heights council approves extension of new fireworks ordinance

  • Worked with the County to resurfacing a portion of Kenneth Avenue and Madison Avenue.
  • Resurfaced 14 residential roadways
  • Awarded $9 Million in grant funds for the Auburn Blvd Complete Streets, Phase 2 project
  • Construction commenced on the Mariposa 4 Safe Routes to School project
  • Construction commenced on the Bonita Ave Storm Drain project
  • Awarded a consultant contract for design of the San Juan Avenue Complete Streets Project
  • Construction started on Sunrise Pointe affordable housing project

Related: New, low-income apartment project takes shape on Sunrise Blvd

  • Housing Element approved by HCD
  • Developed Permit Ready ADU (PRADU) program and held ADU webinar
  • Mitchell Farms building out at a rapid pace (See article)
  • Issued over 3,300 building permits
  • Building Division is now 100% electronic and paperless
  • COVID response, still responsive to community
  • Created step compensation system

Related: Citrus Heights votes 4-1 for revised pay structure for most city staff

  • Allocated first amount of ARPA funding to restore Police (see article)
  • Completed 14 home repair grant projects for low income seniors
  • Allocated over $135k in COVID-CV funds to local nonprofits
  • Partnered with SRPD to renovate bathrooms at San Juan park
  • Participated in 1st regional Homeless Policy Council meeting
  • Launched Connect Citrus Heights, a community leadership coalition
  • Bolstered communications toolkit, added text tool
  • Supported Sunrise MarketPlace PBID renewal

Related: Sunrise MarketPlace PBID renewed with surprising 97% support

  • Bi-monthly meetings to collaborate with Chamber
  • Sponsored and hosted a Chamber lunch with program around City updates
  • Oversaw bi-monthly Project Coordination meetings to review development funnel, clear barriers for projects, and ensure business-friendly environment
  • Supported commercial kitchen grand opening
  • Facilitated two business retention visits
  • Represented Citrus Heights as Chair of the Economic Development Director Task Force of Greater Sacramento Economic Council
  • Hosted a vaccine clinic in partnership with Sutter Health
  • Communications around historic SACOG grant award amount

Related: Citrus Heights awarded $11.1 million in grants to fund roadway projects

  • “Beyond the Blueprint” communications plan (internal and external) regarding the CA economy re-opening
  • Promoted various cooling centers
  • Launched and closed ARPA Community Needs survey

Related: Safety, homelessness rank as top concerns for Citrus Heights residents

  • Cross-departmental ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) working group held regular meetings to advance funding recommendations
  • Fireworks safety communication, in collaboration with Sac Metro Fire and CHPD
  • Provided communications suite to promote City’s new Permit-Ready ADU program, including video production, virtual workshop, website content, social promotion, and more

Related: Citrus Heights promotes permit-ready ADU’s as way to increase housing supply

  • Supported proclamation for “Orbisculate Day,” gaining regional awareness of Citrus Heights collaborative,
    resourceful spirit

Related: Citrus Heights council urges community to embrace ‘orbisculate’ as new word

  • Communications support for Phase 1 ARPA spending
  • Hired interim City Manager for successful continuity (See article)
  • Council update upon completion of Phase 1 and transition to Phase 2 of ARPA spending
  • Provided communications suite for promoting Community Center, including virtual tour, social media, video, and web content
  • Supported communications around regional push for “Random Acts of Clean-up”
  • Communications support on Congressional funding for City-wide trail (Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail)
  • Communications support and stakeholder engagement around city-wide trail, including messaging around safety elements and tree mitigation
  • Facilitated Community Workshop #3 for the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan for revitalizing the 100-acre Sunrise Mall Site

Related: City shares latest update on Sunrise Mall plan, what’s next

  • Comprehensive communications initiatives, culminating in nearly 120,000 impressions of the draft Specific Plan, EIR, and Special Planning Commission deep-dive
  • Supported communications around regional increase in cockroaches with Sac-Area Sewer District
  • Supported the Chamber’s benefit concert

Related: Journey tribute band headlines concert at Sunrise Mall to benefit local businesses

  • Maintain communication with County Health Office to share COVID-19 news and updates
  • Attended bi-weekly JIC calls with Sacramento County Public Health Office
  • Communications support for new Chief of Police announcement
  • Auburn Blvd. Phase two communications plan, including campaign around new gateway

Related: City seeks input on new ‘gateway’ arch for Auburn Blvd

  • Continued communications intern program
  • Rebranded FB Live Series (Citrus Hi-Lights) and hosted six interviews on various city topics
  • Supported Rotary presentation from the Mayor and City Manager on City news and updates
  • Supported regional communications for May is Bike Month
  • Economic Development representation at Neighborhood Association meetings
  • Collaborated with Northern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for strategic partnership between Chamber, City and SBDC to pull through small business support for Citrus Heights
  • Advancing mall ownership engagement around Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan process
  • Marketing support of the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan to potential developers
  • Partnered with the Chamber, Sunrise MarketPlace and Sunrise Mall on local job fair.
  • Launched the Multi Modal Transportation Safety Program (MMTSP) and implemented countermeasures at 5 of the top priority locations
  • Conducted Study Session with City Council on options for implementation of the mandatory organics recycling legislation for residential customers
  • Highly experienced and talented leadership at division and senior staff levels
  • Launched the Non-Infrastructure education component of the Mariposa 4 Safe Routes to School project
  • Acquiring and implementing ARPA funding
  • Maintained responsive customer services during staffing difficulties
  • Updated Records Retention Schedules for all departments
  • Utilized $115,768 of Public, Educational and Governmental Funding to update the Council Chamber
  • Completed EIR for sunrise Mall
  • New police chief selected

Related: New police chief talks crime, community in newly released video

  • Overcame budget shortfalls
  • Promoted a new police chief
  • Announced promotion of new Community Development Director
  • Approved new 2-year budget

Related: Citrus Heights passes controversial budget in split 3-2 vote

  • Re-opened city hall
  • Out of the gate application for federal relief funds rendered early funding
  • As of September 21, 2021, Casey Kempenaar to Community Development Director

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