The City kicked off the year in a good way! In February, we were notified by the Monterey County Business Council that the City is being awarded its Government Award at their 28th Annual Gala.
This year, they are highlighting “Community Builders who have played a pivotal role in making a positive impact through housing initiatives”. We are honored to be recognized for our steadfast work on policies that support housing so that we can finally get homes built in our community.
Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex
• We expect to have the 100% construction documents submitted to us by March, leading us right into the start of the construction of Phase I in April. Make sure to mark your calendars for the groundbreaking scheduled for April 27th at 1:00pm at the site. • If you still haven’t checked out the fly-through video, scan the QR code below to see what the Center is going to look like once it is fully constructed. • Staff continues to work on the Capital Campaign to secure the rest of the funding needed for Phase II. Currently, we have $6.6 million secured in pledges and contributions out of the $10 million dollar goal that was established.
• If you are interested in making a donation or for more information, please visit the Community Foundation’s website (www.cfmco.org) and type in Gonzales Community Center in the search box. Donations made through their website are secure and will come directly to our Community Center fund.
Economic Development and Revenue Generation
• City Staff has been busy working on grants to bring in funding. In February, we submitted a large grant request for the Fire Department. If awarded, it will support the purchase of a new fire apparatus.
City of Gonzales
City Manager Report
February 2024
AGENDA
ITEM
• Staff is also working to support businesses that are interested in establishing themselves in our community.
• On February 22nd, staff met with representatives from South County to strategize on potential business opportunities. We are connecting with representatives of the County and our neighboring Cities to attract businesses to our local communities.
Housing
• Our draft 6th Cycle Housing Element was submitted to the State in February. Now we wait to see what the State says. They can either approve it or get back to us with more questions. • The Visita Lucia Housing Environmental Impact Review (EIR) is currently open for public comment. The public comment period closes on March 19th. • Economic Development staff has approved an ADU that will soon be under construction.
Community Engagement
• City staff continues to partner with the Blue Zones Project, Olinga Learning, and others to bring a Community Garden to the community. The Community Garden will cover the empty lot next to the Skate Park and the Gonzales Pool. We are excited about the opportunities it will bring the community and the partnerships that are supporting this project. We have received the donated planters and the community planting day took place on March 9th. We will be hosting more planting days in the future and hope that the community will help us take care of the garden.
• On February 28th, staff met with Caltrans’ Transportation Engineer, Frank Boyle, P.E. to discuss potential solutions to the issues on the 5th St. Bridge. City leadership and Frank examined the traffic congestion and the issues on the bridge. We are exploring potential partnerships to help address some of the issues there.
Save the Date for the upcoming events:
• April 20th - Gonzales Car Show
• April 27th at 1:00pm - Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center Complex Groundbreaking Ceremony