The Cloverdale Police Department is gearing up for their annual National Night Out Event in the Plaza on Tuesday, August 1st, 2023, 6 PM to 9 PM. Come out and meet the Police Officers, Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and more. They will have emergency preparedness booths, recreation, face painting, and over $2000 in raffle prizes that were donated and are being raffled off (Must be present to win). Police vehicles and equipment will be on display. Meet Darth Vader and other cosplay characters for a photo opportunity. Northbay Animal Control will be doing a safety presentation and have pets you can meet who need a home.

On July 1st, The City of Cloverdale is about to wrap up the current fiscal year (FY 2022-23) and embark on a new fiscal year (FY 2023-24). Cities, like most government entities, operate on a fiscal year. A fiscal year is a 12-month period that serves as the financial accounting period for budgeting, financial reporting, and resource management purposes. While the calendar year follows the January to December timeline, the Fiscal Year for the City of Cloverdale is July 1st to June 30th.

With the completion of the Fiscal Year 2022-23, we strive to keep you informed about the various departments and initiatives that contribute to our shared progress over the last year. In this edition, we bring you updates from the Police Department, Finance Department, Public Works Department, and Planning Department. Read on to stay connected and engaged with the City of Cloverdale!

Police Department:

The dedicated officers of the Cloverdale Police Department continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of our residents. Initiatives for the new year include the development of a new website for the Police Department that will enable the Police Department to provide a web-accessible police log (currently the police log is available for review at the Police Department) to enable community members to stay updated on recent police activities in the City. The digital police log is expected to promote transparency by making incident information readily available via the City’s website to the community. In addition to a new website, in the coming months the Police Department will introduce a city-wide Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) camera system. ALPRs capture computer-readable images of license plates and vehicles, allowing officers to compare plate numbers against those of stolen cars or wanted individuals in various crime databases. The new ALPR system is expected to be a valuable tool for our Police Department.

The Cloverdale Police Department is hosting the annual National Night Out event at the Downtown Plaza on Tuesday, August 1st, from 6 pm to 9 pm. National Night Out is an opportunity for the community to meet and greet local emergency and public service personnel. Multiple emergency preparedness booths and fire, ambulance, and police emergency vehicles will be displayed. The evening will be filled with free activities for the kids, free food, candy, and snow cones while supplies last. Over $1,000 in raffle prizes-bicycles, scooters, gift cards, and more will be given out throughout the evening (must be in attendance to win).

Finance Department:

The Finance Department has been diligently managing the city’s budget and resources to support the operations of the Cloverdale. We are pleased to report that our financial health remains strong, allowing us to invest in essential services and infrastructure improvements.

During the City Council meeting on April 12, 2023, the FY 2021/22 City of Cloverdale Audited Financial Statements were accepted, identifying a surplus of $1,745,900 in the general fund balance compared to the previous year. In accordance with the General Fund Surplus Policy, the surplus was allocated based on specified priorities. First, $100,000 was transferred to the Emergency Reserve, increasing the balance to $688,105. Then, $48,894 was moved to the Contingency Reserve, bringing the balance to $1,668,436. The remaining surplus was allocated to various reserve funds, including the Equipment Replacement Reserve, Police Vehicle Replacement Reserve, Facility Replacement and Maintenance Reserves, and Compensated Absences Reserve, resulting in current balances of $171,891, $279,215, $235,596, and $113,061, respectively. Additionally, $318,519 was transferred to assigned fund balances. It is worth noting that the general fund balance reserves also include $900,816 in American Rescue Act Funds previously assigned to specific projects in the water and wastewater enterprise funds.

Despite the City’s strong financial position, the City is facing strong headwinds that affect the City financial standing. With the slowing of the global economy, the City is forecasting a reduction in key revenues includes sales tax revenues and a slowing of growth in property tax due to a reduction in property sales and is witnessing significant increase in the cost of goods and services much of which has been driven by the increase in global inflationary rates. The Finance department is closely monitoring the City’s financial positions and will embark on preparation of an updated financial audit starting in July for fiscal year 2022-23 completed on June 30.

Public Works Department:

The Public Works Department continues their work to maintain and improve our city’s infrastructure. Over the past months, the Public

1. Crocker Road Pedestrian & Bicyle Bridge
The Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure is proceeding with this significant development that when completed will greatly enhance safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and recreational enthusiasts.
This state-of-the-art bridge represents a pivotal milestone in the county’s commitment to promoting active transportation and creating a safer community for all. This new pedestrian bridge offers a range of benefits that will positively impact the lives of residents and visitors. The key advantage of this project are:
a. Increased Safety – The pedestrian bridge and bicycle provides a dedicated pathway, completely separated from vehicular traffic, ensuring the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. This eliminates the risk of accidents and encourages more people to utilize active modes of transportation.
b. Recreation and Leisure – The new bridge not only benefits commuters but also caters to the recreational needs of residents. It provides access to scenic routes and trail networks.

2. Cloverdale River Park Expansion
The vision is to expand the Cloverdale River Park to include the heavily used area surrounding the Crocker Road Bridge to provide accessible safe recreation, reduce fire and trespass and other impacts on neighbors, and to improve water quality and habitat.

Project Elements:
a. Connected, safe trails – Sonoma County Public Infrastructure is leading the Crocker Bike & Pedestrian bridge to provide a safe crossing to both sides of the river.
b. Safe Parking – designated parking with accessible parking at the east side of the bridge
c. Access Trails – sustainable and accessible routes
d. Restrooms – permanent accessible restrooms to improve water quality and use experience
e. Trash & Dumping – trash and recycling receptacles and service; barriers to prevent dumping; debris removal from river; regular clean-ups
f. Signage – regulatory, navigational, educational, and “Leave No Trace” signs will be provided

Project Steps:
a. Acquisition – Negotiations for fee title or public recreational easements with two private landowners are underway
b. Master Planning – Proceed once acquisition is near completion. Master planning will include community engagement, biological/vegetation studies, cultural resource studies, traffic studies and other analysis.
c. Construction – The Crocker Road Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge is scheduled for Fall 2023. Phase 1 of the park expansion is dependent upon the acquisition.
d. Funding Sources – Parks for All Measure M ($125,000), Park Mitigation Fees – North County Area ($10,000), Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation ($15,000) and pending 4th District Infrastructure Funding ($100,000). Additional fundraising will be needed for development.

3. Asti Permanent Bridge Update
The Permanent Asti Bridge will provide an additional reliable, year-round ingress/egress, particularly during disaster emergencies. On April 28, 2023, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Department of Public Infrastructure to proceed with Phase 2 of the design work for the Asti Bridge Project. Phase 2 includes preparation of environmental documents for the CEQA analysis and acquisition of right-of-way. With studies on track for completion in the next several months, it is estimated that the effort to create a Special Financing District to support the project will begin at the end of the year.

4. Soda Springs Ranch Open Space Preserve
In partnership with the City of Cloverdale and the Lyda family, Ag + Open Space is in the process of conserving Soda Springs Ranch Open Space preserve, a 209-acre property

Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza
In July we celebrate our country’s independence and with the warmer temperatures, I look at fresh garden salads to beat the heat. This is one I make frequently and what’s best is you can add in more veggies, cheese, and cooked chicken or shrimp.

Salad Ingredients
• 2 cups fresh cooked corn or canned as a substitute
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1-2 avocados, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Dressing Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine the cooked corn, tomatoes, and onion in a large glass bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients in another bowl, pour over the salad, and gently toss to mix. Chill salad for an hour or two to let flavors blend. Add avocados right before serving so they don’t brown. Adding a squirt of lime directly to them will help them not brown.