Difficult Decisions

and Tough Choices 

David Russell once said "The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn". And, at times, our long journey in preparing, and now reviewing, the proposed FY 2014-15 budget has often felt like General Frederick Browning "bridge to far".   Like every other city in California, Greenfield has had to make some pretty difficult decisions and tough choices about city services, user fees and staffing. Greenfield is a growing and diverse community and there is never enough dollars to meet all the needs in the community. During the past week, the City Council has devoted two full evenings discussing the projected growth in property tax, sales tax receipts, the cost of telecommunications and internet services, the escalating cost of employee pension and health insurance, recreational programing, street conditions and the cost of water and sewer service. No matter the hours devoted to these issues, what is clear is that we don't have enough money to provide all the services and programs we would like to provide to Greenfield residents.   Developing the budget is an exercise in determining what is really important, less important and just plain important but unaffordable. We have difficult decisions and tough choices coming up for sure.

On Monday evening, 6:00 PM at the Civic Center, the Finance Board will be reviewing the proposed FY 2014-15 spending plan and preparing recommendations to the City Council. This is an excellent chance to come and share your view on how the City should spend its limited financial resources. The Finance Board's review of the budget will be followed the next day (June 17, 2012 at 6:00) by a City Council budget workshop in which the Mayor and Council would be finalizing its direction to City staff for spending priorities for final adoption on June 24^th, 2014.

Each of these three budget discussions and meetings are open to the public. The City encourages your participation.   If you would like to come, or if you are just interested in the budget, please take a look at the Finance Board's review agenda and the revised spending plan here. 

CalGRIP Operation in Progress

Gang Members Arrested

Today, Friday June 13, 2014, Police Chief Frese led a CalGRIP Operation spanning across South Monterey County with the objective of engaging and identifying potential street gang members living in the community; confront head-on criminal street gang members and place them on notice that South Monterey County agencies are combining their resources in an effort to combat criminal activity.

Under the direction of Chief Frese, agencies who partnered with Greenfield Police in this operation include: California Highway Patrol, Soledad Police Department, Del Rey Oaks Police Department, DHS/ICE, King City Police Department, Monterey County Adult Probation Department, Gonzales Police Department, California Department of Corrections Parole Department, Soledad Correctional Training Facility, Salinas Valley State Prison, and U.S. Marshals. 

Based on past criminal activities identified by Greenfield Police over 25 individuals were targeted for Police contact by the combined teams in an effort to verify probation compliance as well as apprehend current wanted offenders.  As a result of criminal activity in Greenfield by known gang members several arrests have been made.  The operation continues and is scheduled to conclude later on this evening.

Violence Against Police Officers

As demonstrated by the CalGRIP Operation in progress in Greenfield this afternoon, Greenfield Police with fellow officers need the support from our community as Law Enforcement is faced with a 53% increase in violence against police this year.

Community members are invited to offer suggestions, concerns, or compliments anonymously or otherwise. Chief Frese encourages residents to drop her a line in the new suggestion box and let her know how they're doing at the police department. The newly installed suggestion box is located on the wall next to the front counter of the Police Department.

Suggestions received:

Posting yard sales on website

Distribute bike helmets

Please keep them coming in...it's great to hear from our community. 

STAY TUNED....

Dollar Tree, O'Reilly's Auto Parts, McDonald's, Magnolia Place Senior Apartments, Terracina Oaks II Apartments, and CHISPA self-help housing are not the only projects in the works.

Planning activities have taken a large step forward for the annexation of the South End project which will include some exciting highway-commercial development along with an upscale, large lot, market rate single-family housing project next to the Greenfield High School. The owners of these properties are working together with the City to assemble the information and planning studies necessary to formally annex this area into the City.

Two other projects to construct market rate single-family housing that were put on hold during the housing market crash are also coming back to life. Although still in the early planning stages, each of these projects are moving forward with a very definite interest and desire to bring more market rate single-family housing to our community.

The owners of several other smaller subdivisions have also been meeting with the Planning Department to move forward with the design and construction of even more market rate single-family housing.

The Community Services Director and I have had a number of meetings with the owners and developers of these projects. I feel very confident that these projects will definitely be happening and significant progress will be made in the coming months to make these projects become a reality.

We are also anxiously awaiting the next phase of the Yanks Museum project. The owner of this project has indicated that he is working diligently to finalize a site plan for the next phase of construction. This site plan will be reviewed with the City, and once approved by the Planning Commission and City Council, construction of the long anticipated WWII aircraft museum can begin.