Tuesday, June 2, 2015    
Mayor's Community Liaison Meeting
CANCELLED

Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 7:00pm
Regular Council Meeting
6 p.m. Closed Session

Library Auditorium

26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563   

Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 7:00pm

Joint meeting of the City Council and the 

Citizens' Infrastructure Oversight Commission (CIOC)

 Library Auditorium  

26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563 

We are currently in the midst of an historic drought and mandatory water restrictions have been implemented and goals for reduction set by our water provider East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). As the steward of the City's landscaped areas, the Parks and Recreation Department has always taken an aggressive approach to responsibly manage water use in our parks and medians. Even with our prior diligence the City needs to continue to reduce its water use for landscaping with the goal of reducing usage by 20%. With this in mind the Parks and Recreation Department will be taking the following steps to comply with EBMUD's drought management program.

Remove Ornamental Turf: The City will be removing approximately 1 acre of ornamental turf. Ornamental turf has no specific purpose and is primarily aesthetic. The City will remove areas of ornamental turf at the Orinda Community Park, Library, Oaks Park and Wilder Park. The turf will initially be replaced with mulch or another non-water demanding groundcover. When water resources are available to establish new planting the City will replace the mulch with drought-tolerant groundcover and plantings.

Prioritize Water Use: The City's landscaping falls into three categories Active Sport Turf, Aesthetic Landscaping, and Trees. The City goal is to reduce its water usage across all meters by 20%, but has prioritized the areas as follows: 1. Active Sports Turf 2. Trees and 3. Aesthetic Landscaping. With  EBMUD's restrictions on the number of day's watering can occur it will be impossible to maintain our sports turf to the color we expect, but our priority is to keep the sports turf playable and safe for our residents.

Central Irrigation: Department staff is testing out a weather-based controller which will automatically adjust watering schedules based on the weather and moisture in the soil. In addition, staff is alerted when breaks occur and are able to monitor or adjust watering remotely.  We currently have these types of controllers at Pine Grove and Wilder Parks.

With these measures and those implemented last year, as of May 2015 the City of Orinda is currently 30% below its 2013 water usage across all water meters managed by the City of Orinda. This includes the water needed to maintain the addition of a new sports field facility since 2013.

The Parks and Recreation Department requests that you report any broken sprinklers or water wasting activities in our parks or medians. You may call during business hours to 925-254-2445 or email OrindaParksRec@cityoforinda.org.

Community members are invited to bring their families and friends to the 

Orinda Community Park for summer entertainment starting in June. 

These events are free and open to the community. 

Families are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs. 

For more information visit www.cityoforinda.org or call (925) 254-2445.

The Concerts in the Park, which are sponsored by

 the Orinda Parks and Recreation Foundation and supported by the 

Orinda Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Orinda and City of Orinda,

are held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Below is the concert schedule for this year:

6/16: Kenya B Trio - Blues & Jazz

6/23: Spill the Wine - Pop & Rock

6/30: Dennis Johnson & Ramblers - Blues & Swing

7/7: Floorshakers - Funk Soul & Rock n' Roll

7/14: Lamorinda Idol w/ Arts in Bloom @ 5pm - Variety

7/21: West Grand Boulevard - Motown & Rhythm & Blues

7/26: Opera in the Park, *Sunday, 4-6pm - Opera

8/4: Little Dog 2 - Pop & Rock

8/11: Cami Thompson, *6-8pm - Big Band Jazz

Movies in the Park are back for a second consecutive year and are presented by the Orinda Parks and Recreation Foundation with support from the Orinda Community Foundation. The movies will be held Thursday evenings and will begin at dusk. Below is the movie schedule for this year:

July 9: The Boxtrolls

July 23: Big Hero 6

August 6: Maleficent

August 20: Frozen Sing-Along

The City of Orinda believes that every child deserves a magical, creative, dynamic, and active summer which is why there are various camps to choose from. From enrichment to sports camps, including special interest camps, the Parks and Recreation Department believe there is a camp for every child.

For the first time this year, the Parks and Recreation Department will be cancelling summer camps two weeks before the first day of camp if the minimum number of campers is not reached. Since this has been revised from previous years, the City has established a dedicated page on our website to keep parents informed with important camp information. This page will be updated every Friday afternoon with information pertaining to the upcoming week. You can find this page under the youth section of our website or you may click here.

Helping Seniors Keep up with Ever-Changing Technology

Orinda Parks and Recreation is bringing new tech classes and workshops geared for the senior community. The latest course, Mac-Senior Basics with Sharon Beck, has been a hit with those looking to better understand their iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices. Her goal is to share all the need-to-know tricks, tips, and functions so at the end of this 6-week course users are confident and take full advantage of the features offered on their devices. The small class size is perfect for those who need help troubleshooting and each week different tips, applications and functions are discussed. Students are encouraged to bring their devices and questions with them to class. The next session of Mac-Senior Basics is Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., beginning June 18 through July 23.

This summer's Lunch n' Learns will cover technology too! Grant Stubblefield with Neighborhood Computers is back with more insight on the world of enterprise IT solutions. The first of this three-part series will be held Friday, June 19 and covers Best Practices 2015. This open lecture and discussion will share the best IT practices for your home or office computer regarding security, back-up, syncing, and more. This lecture will be held at the Orinda Community Center from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Lunches are generously provided by Aegis Living of Moraga and will be served at noon. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register for any of these programs and more visit www.cityoforinda.org or view our Orinda Summer Activity Guide.

All Aboard the Niles Canyon Railway!

Join us on our next senior trip Sunday, June 14, as we explore Niles Canyon by a diesel engine train that will trek the same tracks the original transcontinental railroad used. Upon return to Niles, we will have the chance to browse the nearby antique shops for those who like to find hidden treasures from the past. Space for this trip is limited and carpool opportunities will be available. Click here to register online or call (925) 254-2445.

City of Orinda Parks & Recreation now using ePACT Network

The City of Orinda Parks & Recreation is committed to providing the best support to our campers and their families. Therefore, we are proud to announce our use of ePACT, an online emergency network for this year's Camp Orinda, Orinda Kids/OK Camp, Fun & Sports Camp, Lunch Bunch Camp, Orinda Nature Camp and Orinda Teen Camps, ensuring the greatest emergency preparedness and safety for all our participants.

Using ePACT means no more completing multiple paper forms! Instead, parents only need to create an account, enter the required information, accept any waivers and then securely share this with City of Orinda Parks & Recreation. Using ePACT is simple and easy:  

• Each camper's family will receive an email inviting them to use ePACT.
• Families create their ePACT account, entering required details, such as medical needs and emergency contacts.
• Families securely connect with City of Orinda Parks & Recreation allowing counselors/medical staff access to their information.
• Families can update ePACT anytime during the year, and we will automatically be alerted (e.g. add a new cell phone or new emergency contact, and the camp administrators receives the update).

For ePACT- security and privacy is a priority! They maintain the same levels of security and privacy as online banks and never share your information with any third parties. Check out their website for more details: https://epactnetwork.com/us.

Planning Department   

Planning Commission

June 9, 2015

• Commissioner Training
• 1 Wilder Road: Review and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding appropriate interpretations of and/or amendments to: (1) the Orinda Municipal Code (OMC) definition of "Congregate care" as it pertains to an application for an "Assisted Living Facility" and (2) the development standards applicable to properties in the PS district when property in the PS district does not adjoin a residential or downtown zoning district.

Zoning Administrator

• 4 Lost Valley Court - Elevated deck permit
• 17 Camino Encinas - Exception permit to allow construction of an auxiliary structure within the backyard setback

New Projects

• 15 Risa Court - Conceptual development review application for a seasonal scoreboard
• 315 Camino Sobrante - Orinda Country Club exception application to allow grading in the creek setback for renovation of sand bunkers, tee boxes, drainage improvements and greens.  Work on portions of the project outside the creek setbacks has been approved and commenced.
• Wilder Subdivision - General planning application for trail signage and monuments throughout the development.