We Want to Hear From You!

GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON ROAD CONCEPTS FOR THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Virtual and in-person Walk and Roll Pinole stations have been set up to further develop the City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP). Visit either station to vote on your favorite future concept for different roads which integrate an active transportation network as well as share your top priorities in the ATP. An ATP will foster a network to safely walk, bike and scoot. We are accepting feedback through May 31st.

VIRTUAL station: www.pinolespeaks.com/pinoleatp

IN-PERSON feedback station: City Hall (2131 Pear Street) M-Th 8am-4:30 pm

Upcoming Events

CITY PUBLIC MEETINGS

Planning  Commission - Mon, May 13, 7pm - Zoom/City Hall

City Council Meeting - Tues, May 21, 5pm - Zoom/City Hall

Community Services Commission Meeting - Wed, May 22, 5pm - Zoom/City Hall

Planning  Commission - Mon, May 13, 7pm - Zoom/City Hall - CANCELED

The public may attend and participate in-person in the City Hall Council Chamber or via Zoom. Agendas, minutes, and other detailed information regarding how to attend and participate in Pinole’s public meetings can be found on the website.

CITY-SPONSORED EVENTS

Station 74 Open House - Sat, May 11, 10am-2pm - Station 74, 3700 Pinole Valley Rd

Food Distribution - Mon, May 13, 2024 9-10am - Senior Center

Community Clean-up - Sat, May 18, 10am-12pm - Upper Watershed

Community Service Day - Sat, May 18, 10am-12pm - Pinole Youth Center

Pinole Pride & Juneteenth Celebration - Sun, June 9, 12-3pm - Fernandez Park

STATION 74 OPEN HOUSE IS TOMORROW 10AM-2PM

Join us tomorrow at Station 74, 3700 Pinole Valley Road to help us celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the service contract with the Contra Costa Fire Protection district and reopening of Fire Station 74. Meet your local firefighters, explore fire apparatus, and more! Con Fire will hold a Wildfire Preparedness Town Hall meeting from 10-11am to address concerns unique to Contra Costa residents. There will be fun activities for the kids. Please stop by and say hello!

Inside the Council Chambers

Council Member Devin Murphy shaking hands with Olivia Rojo, Administrative Assistant for the City Clerk Department.

The chambers were filled with City staff as Pinole City Council honored staff and police officers for Public Service Recognition Week, 55th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, Police Officer Week and Peace Officer's Memorial Day. Council also recognized May as Affordable Housing Month with a special proclamation.

Townsend Public Affairs, who have been working with City staff since November 2023, gave a presentation to council. Grant Director Alex Gibbs reported that they have submitted several grants on behalf of the City of Pinole, including an earmark letter to the Assembly Member Buffy Wicks and Senator Nancy Skinner for budget appropriation consideration in FY 2024/25. In the letter, the City requested funding for three community projects: Creekside Park, the Pinole Community Hub (Senior Center), and Fernandez Park Renovation. Staff collected 19 letters from local community organizations in support of these projects, which Gibbs explained helped strengthen the request. Gibbs said that we should expect to hear back from Congressman Garamendi by the end of next week if the City of Pinole will be awarded funding for one of the projects. 

COUNCIL TO PURSUE BALLOT MEASURE

City Council voted 5-0 to pursue a 0.5 cent sales tax increase measure that will be considered for the ballot in this November's election. The measure aims to generate $2.5 million annually for the general fund that will be used to maintain fiscal stability and provide the City of Pinole with essential services such as: maintaining fire protection and 911 emergency response, keeping public areas safe and clean, upgrading storm drains, maintaining parks and youth programs with safe places to play; repairing potholes, streets and sidewalks, preventing crime, and for general governmental use. If adopted, the measure would establish a 0.5 cent sales tax increase that would continue until ended by voters and would require audits, public spending disclosure, and all funds spent for Pinole.

There will be a public hearing on the proposed ballot measure and discussion of ballot measure language on July 16, 2024 in the council chambers. 

The full meeting agenda packet, details, and documents, including presentations and video can be found on our website.

News & Updates

PREVENT FIRE WITH WEED ABATEMENT

As the weather gets warmer, the vegetation that grew throughout the winter will dry out and increase the risk of fires in our community. Property owners are responsible for eliminating combustible debris and vegetation, such as overgrown weeds, to reduce the risk of structure fires and wildfire. Fire Personnel and Code Enforcement work together to conduct inspections of properties for compliance with weed abatement requirements, which include:

• Cut and maintain weeds within three (3) inches off the ground;
• Large properties (5 acres and above) require a minimum of 30 feet of defensible space around the perimeter of the property and fire breaks of at least 20 feet wide every 5 acres throughout the property;
• Road rights-of-way shall be cleared to a minimum of 10 feet horizontally from the edge of the driving surface and 13 feet and 6 inches vertically.

To file a complaint reporting fire hazards, call (510) 724-CODE or email codeenf@ci.pinole.ca.us. June 3, 2024 is the weed abatement deadline for Pinole. For more information on weed abatement, including contractor lists, visit Con Fire's website. 

Residents are encouraged to attend the Wildfire Preparedness Town Hall Meeting this Saturday, May 11, 10-11am at Fire Station 74, 3700 Pinole Valley Road.

City employees pose for a group picture after their tour of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

STAFF APPRECIATION DURING PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

City of Pinole staff celebrated Public Service Recognition week by touring two facilities that many do not get to see on a typical day: the Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Pinole Police Department. The City's HR Department planned a variety of fun activities each day to show appreciation to staff, and this resulted in smiles all around! The week ended with a staff appreciation luncheon where employees were honored for 5, 10, 15 and even 20 years of service.

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is a time set aside to honor individuals who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees. It is a valuable recognition program intended to help build workplace culture and support meaningful employee engagement. City of Pinole employees are dedicated and work very hard to keep Pinole running smoothly. Next time you see a City employee around town, please say hello!

Mayors of Contra Costa County gather in the Pinole Senior Center main hall to discuss the County's most pressing issues.

PINOLE HOSTS CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MAYORS' CONFERENCE

The City of Pinole hosted the annual Contra Costa County Mayors' Conference last week at the Senior Center. Mayors representing cities across Contra Costa County (CCC) met to discuss important issues and appoint members to various boards and commissions. CCC Representative John Gioia presented a report on the importance of resilient Contra Costa Shorelines and the role of regional shoreline adaptation plans. Pinole Mayor Toms invited guests to the City's upcoming summer events and spoke about Pinole's accomplishments in building affordable housing for veterans and addressing environmental issues with the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. 

PINOLE EARNS A PROHOUSING DESIGNATION TO TACKLE THE HOUSING CRISIS

The City of Pinole has been designated as a Prohousing Jurisdiction by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, joining 46 other communities in the state with this designation. This status allows Pinole to streamline affordable housing development by reducing barriers and facilitating infrastructure funding and state housing acquisition. The city has already demonstrated its commitment to combating the housing crisis through various initiatives, such as implementing zoning ordinances promoting affordable housing and developing a fast-track process for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Additionally, Pinole is working on a fee waiver program for home improvements and partnering with affordable housing developers to secure grants. These efforts align with the vision of the Pinole City Council and reflect the proactive work of the Community Development Department. Established in the 2019-20 Budget Act, the Prohousing Designation Program recognizes local government policies that accelerate housing production and promote favorable zoning, aiming to encourage jurisdictions to implement housing-friendly policies.

Photo courtesy of East Bay Regional Park District

RATTLESNAKE ADVISORY

East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) issued a press release informing park visitors that spring is the time when snakes emerge from winter hibernation and become more active. This includes rattlesnakes, which live in a variety of wildland habitats, as well as in rural and urban areas, such as Pinole. EBRPD reminds us that snakes are an important part of the environment because they control rodent populations, but encourages people to practice rattlesnake safety tips that help protect wildlife and humans alike. 

Rattlesnake Safety Tips

1. Avoid hiking alone so you have help in case of emergency.
2. Scan the ground ahead of you as you walk, jog, or ride.
3. Stay on trails and avoid walking in tall grass.
4. Look carefully around and under logs and rocks before sitting down.
5. Listen for the buzz of a rattlesnake’s rattle warning you it is there.
6. Avoid placing your hands or feet where you cannot see clearly.
7. For maximum safety, consider keeping your dog on a leash.

If bitten by a rattlesnake, stay calm and have someone call 911. More information on snakes and wildlife encounters.

BIKE TO WHEREVER DAY IS THURSDAY MAY 16

Bike to Wherever Day is just around the corner. Next Thursday, May 16, West County will be filled with energizer stations for cyclists to stop at, get tote bags, swag, and snacks. Stations will be located in Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, and El Sobrante. Most stations run from 7am-9am and there are also a couple evening stations in West County, including the The Pedaler in El Sobrante and Contra Costa College.

Find the stations and times they’re open near you: https://bayareabiketowork.com/event-information/energizer-stations

Make sure you pledge to ride on the day so we can count you among the region’s total number: https://bayareabiketowork.com/event-information/pledge-to-ride

Traffic Advisories

HIGHWAY 37 CLOSED THIS WEEKEND

This is the last scheduled weekend for closure of CAL TRANS State Route-37 Solano Pavement Repair Project. There will be a 55 hr. Full Highway Closures on State Route-37 between State Route-29 (Vallejo) and State Route-121 (Sonoma) beginning Friday, May 10 at 9:00pm and conclude at 5:00am on Monday, May 13. EB SR-37 will be closed and traffic detoured beginning at the NB SR-121 (Sears Point) in Sonoma.

EB SR-37 DETOUR:

Motorists traveling eastbound on SR-37 will need to exit left onto northbound SR-121 in Sonoma; Make a right on SR-12/SR-121(Carneros Hwy) and continue; Right on SR-12/SR-29; Enter left for the connector loop Off-ramp back to EB SR-37.

Please note that all work is weather dependent. The weekend of May 17, 2024 may be scheduled as contingency if any scheduled work is delayed or postponed.

If you have a question or want to share a concern about the project, please call the SR-37 Pave Project Hotline (510) 286-0319.

For 24/7 traffic updates, please visit 511.org.

For real-time information, please visit Caltrans QuickMap.

TRAFFIC IMPACT ON PINOLE VALLEY ROAD BETWEEN COLLINS AND SAVAGE

This Saturday on May 11, Con Fire will have a Wildfire Prepaaredness Town Hall meeting and Open House at Fire Station 74, 3700 Pinole Valley Road. To accommodate for event parking, they will utilize Ellerhorst Elementary's blacktop, directly across Pinole Valley Road from Station 74. A temporary crosswalk will be established between the blacktop and Station 74.

The temporary crosswalk will impact traffic n Pinole Valley Road between the area of Collins Avenue and Savage Avenue. Traffic is expected to be slower from 10am until the event concludes at approximately 2pm. Please contact the Pinole Police Department with any questions (510) 724-1111. 

A Greener Pinole

People took a walking pledge to protect the planet along the Bay Trail at Bayfront Park during the Pinole Earth Walk.

The Friends of the Pinole Creek Watershed and Earth Team at their booth on Earth Day.

HUNDREDS OF PINOLEANS PLEDGE TO PROTECT THE PLANET ON EARTH DAY

Hundreds gathered at the Pinole Earth Walk & Earth Day Fair on April 20th at Fernandez Park to make a collective commitment to safeguard our planet. We walked together along the Pinole Creek trail and Bay trail which loops around Bayfront Park. At the finish line, refreshing aguas frescas and savory vegan snacks were enjoyed by many. The City teamed up with over a dozen Earth Day partners who offered an array of eco-activities and education for event-goers that aimed at fostering sustainable habits. Among the highlights was a vibrant community art project led by the Pinole Artisans, where people of all ages painted recycling bins that will serve as colorful reminders of the ongoing responsibility to reduce, reuse, and recycle. We hope that the spirit of stewardship will resonate with Pinoleans all year long!

VIEW PINOLE’S FIRST EVER CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN

After two years of outreach and engagement, the City of Pinole is proud to release the public review draft of its first ever Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). The draft CAAP will detail measures to get Pinole to zero carbon emissions by the year 2045 using trackable actions in various sectors such as building decarbonization, renewable energy sourcing, clean transportation, water conservation, climate resilience and more. The CAAP will also focus on equity to ensure disadvantaged communities are provided the same advantage of mitigating and becoming resilient to the impacts of climate change. Please review the draft CAAP and provide comments to continue to refine the CAAP into its final shape so it is implementable, actionable, and a reflection of you. Comment period will be through May 20, 2024, so make sure your voices are heard today!

Reminders