2009 City Accomplishments

City of Lancaster 2009 Accomplishments

Administration

• Crime rate reduced by 24% over prior year
• Partnered with Sheriff’s Department to host five Town Hall meetings throughout the community
• Adopted Aggressive Dog Ordinance
• Established 192 Neighborhood Watch Groups and 170 Business Watch Groups
• Negotiated two-year extension with Teamsters
• Established Volunteer Service Program
• Implemented Voluntary Separation Program
• Conducted 34 recruitments
• SharePoint / InfoPath staff training and implementation
• Coordinated 500 volunteers to improve South Downtown district
• Certificate of Insurance Tracking Program
• Coordinated meet and confer with non-represented employees
• Administered retiree health opt-out program
• Established CLEAR Choice Program
• Conducted Quarterly SABER Luncheons for employee recognition

Communications

• Substantially increased media coverage of the City and its efforts, with features on regional and national networks, including:

o CNN
o NBC Nightly News
o Fox News
o Wall Street Journal
o Los Angeles Times
o National Geographic Channel
o ABC 7
o CBS 2/KCAL 9
o KTTV Fox 11
o KTLA

• Earned six CAPIO Awards from the California Association of Public Information Officials
• Re-designed the City’s website to make it easier to navigate, as well as providing online reporting tools for crime, graffiti, water wasting, and more
• Substantially increased video output to better utilize this medium to communicate with residents, making all video programs available online, on local cable channel 28, and on the City’s YouTube channel
• Launched a weekly e-newsletter
• Made City news and updates available on Google, Yahoo, and AOL homepages, as well as an RSS feed
• Maintained social networking sites on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube, as well as a Wiki online discussion forum

City Clerk Department

• Processed numerous City Property Claims and recouped approximately $83,000 for damages to City property
• Processed approximately 550 requests for public records regarding City related documents
• Effectively maintained the Citywide Retention Schedule through indexing, cataloging, retention and destruction
• Streamlined several agenda processes and election processes for improved efficiency
• Moved into the electronic age with Microsoft SharePoint as a program to research documents
• Maintained continuous indexing of resolutions, ordinances and minutes
• Maintained continuous updates to the Lancaster Municipal Code
• Prepared more than 25 agenda packets for the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency
• Continued to provide development to staff through the New Law & Election Seminar and other necessary seminars for staff to achieve required certifications

Economic Development/Redevelopment

• Implemented the Lancaster Economic Stimulus Package (ESP), successfully generating an economic impact of over $123 million dollars
• The ESP’s Shop and Drive Program prompted more than $25 million dollars in new auto sales
• Over 5,000 gift cards were issued as part of the ESP’s Shop and Dine Program. More than 400 Lancaster based businesses and over 6,000 citizens participated in the Shop Lancaster program
• Grand Opening of three new restaurants; The Brooklyn Deli, Blvd Express, and Giannini’s in Downtown Lancaster
• Construction started on a $12 million dollar drainage channel enabling the future development of a new Kaiser Permanente facility and the Promenade at Amargosa Creek
• Launched “Destination Lancaster,” a new visitor’s bureau aimed at promoting tourism and supporting businesses within Lancaster and the surrounding Antelope Valley region
• Grand opening of eSolar’s Sierra Sun Tower, a 5MW solar thermal demonstration facility
• Grand opening of the Artist Lofts and Gallery, a 21-unit mixed use project in Downtown Lancaster, representing a $9.4 million dollar investment by Incite Development
• The inaugural “Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix” roared through Downtown Lancaster, garnering more than 20,000 visitors
• Finalized construction plans for $7 million streetscape improvement project in Downtown Lancaster
• Created a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DayStar Farms, Inc. to cooperatively develop the nation’s first solar park
• The University of Antelope Valley was established in Lancaster and will begin to offer Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees at its newest campus, the former Antelope Valley Inn site
• Created new partnership with the Small Business Development Center, Wells Fargo Bank, and the AV Board of Trade to provide free one-on-one counseling and low-cost business workshops
• In conjunction with the County of Los Angeles and the City of Palmdale, hosted the Antelope Valley Enterprise Zone kick-off breakfast
• Launched Mayor’s new home-based business initiative to provide additional education, training and resources for home-based businesses in Lancaster
• Established two Community Neighborhood Impact houses through partnerships with local faith-based organizations
• Implemented ten Neighborhood Revitalization Plans to improve housing and public improvements within the newly designated areas
• Received the 2009 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Promotional Award in recognition of the “Shop Lancaster” marketing campaign. The city also received a Savvy Award from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA) for its “Shop Lancaster” marketing program

Finance Department

• Implemented Gift Card Process for the City’s Economic Stimulus Package
• Encouraged increased participation in paperless paystub delivery via EZ Stub, a website which allows employees to access current and historic payroll information, eliminating time and material cost associated with hard copy paystubs
• Developed a system implemented 1/1/10 whereby retention of Accounts Payable documents becomes paperless, which reduces handling and storage costs
• Set up groundwork for Business Licensing retention to become paperless, again reducing handling and storage costs
• Completed testing and verification of a system of electronic delivery of W2’s to employees. 2008 W2’s were made available to employees, as well as 2009 wage records
• Received Certificate of Award for Outstanding Financial Reporting from the national Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the 23rd consecutive year
• Received Certificate of Award for Distinguished Budget from the California Society of Municipal Finance officers and GFOA
• Items sold through the Public Surplus Auction site brought in $190,822 in additional revenue for the City

Housing Department

• Implemented 10 Neighborhood Revitalization Plans to improve housing and public improvements within the newly designated areas
• Established three Community Neighborhood Impact houses through partnerships with local faith-based organizations
• Approved the Piute Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and completed a $300,000 contract for the Pedestrian Linear Park, completed in September 2009
• Construction started on the Arbor on Date project, a 40-unit apartment complex for low-income residents in downtown
• Awarded $6.9 million dollars in Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant funds in March 2009 which are being used to purchase and/or rehabilitate foreclosed residential properties 

Parks, Recreation, & Arts 

• The Film Office and Sports Tourism combined generated $22.6 million in economic impact. This included $10 million generated from hosting 250 teams in the week long Far West Regional Soccer Championships and $2.6 million generated from a successful softball tournament season in which 686 teams played at the Big 8
• Construction of Capital Improvement Projects:

o Whit Carter Park was completed & construction started at American Heroes Park
o The Phase II Trails project and the Pavilion at the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve were completed
o The first irrigation improvement project for water conservation at Tierra Bonita Park was completed and a second is near completion

• Completed the Design of the new Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery
• Bark at the Park drew its largest crowd, 7500 people and more than 50 vendors, community groups and animal rescue organizations
• CARES program serviced 800 local children per day during the 08/09 school year
• The Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery Associates raised $30,000 with Metamorphosis, their first fundraising gala to support programming of a new museum
• Celebrating our 20th year of the Aerospace Walk of Honor program and the induction of 100 pilots. The Department compiled and edited a hard bound book commemorating 20 years of the Aerospace Walk of Honor
• Established the Lancaster Leadership Academy, presented by professors from the Kennedy School of Management at Harvard University; taught skill building, provided opportunities for networking and challenged local entrepreneurs, business leaders and those with political aspirations to get engaged in their community
• Completed the re-establishment of the Musical Road, along with the Public Works Department, in the westbound lanes on Avenue G starting at 32nd Street West
• Served more than 280,000 citizens with our sports leagues, arts outreach, volunteer opportunities, tournaments, special events, day camp, after school programs, contract classes, Performing Arts Center program, aquatics program, and Museum/Art Gallery exhibits and programming

Planning Department

• Adoption of new 2030 General Plan (July 2009)
• Adoption of new Design Guidelines Manual (December 2009)
• Completion of entitlement process for future Westside commercial sites (July 2009)
• Adoption of streamlined regulations and process for small-scale vertical axis wind turbines in residential zones
• Introduced electronic development process

Public Works Department

• Michelle Cantrell voted Public Works Employee of the Year by the Local American Public Works Association (APWA)
• Constructed Space Plan alterations at City Hall and relocated HNR to the first floor
• Developed a policy to work closely with developers to complete projects left unfinished and non-maintained by the developer
• Completed all traffic painted line work (long line painting) in 1/3 of the normal time by using the new long line paint truck
• Obtained the following grants:

o $1.3 million Energy Efficient and Conservation Block Grant to:

~ replace 800 signalized intersection safety lights with LEDs, and 
~ upgrade heating and air-conditioning units at City Hall

o More than $5 million through the 2009 Metro Call for Projects
o $4.2 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds
o Approximately $190,000 from the California Bicycle Transportation Account
o Approximately $160,000 in rubberized Asphalt Grants

• Implemented efficient, green and highly sustainable processes which save money, conserve natural resources and reduce emissions. The processes include the following:

o 100% electronic bidding process
o Allow use of Class 2 recycled aggregate base
o Innovative pavement rehabilitation techniques such as Cold in Place Recycle, Central Plant Recycle and Full Depth Reclamation of existing streets in lieu of conventional methods

• Started delivery of recycled water for sewer flushing, street sweeping, dust control and irrigation
• 36% reduction in fatal collisions from 2008 (seven this year vs. 11 in 2008)
• Kept all major arterials open during winter snows in addition to providing snow removal support to the City of Palmdale
• Provided necessary maintenance as follows:

o Pothole repairs: 24,129 locations
o Graffiti Abatement: 18,114 locations
o Illegal Dump abatement: 5,421 locations