City, county representatives return from capitol lobbying trip

Emissaries from Turlock and Stanislaus County traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to lobby for funding for five local projects.

County budget looks ‘grim’ for 2010-2011

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors received news Tuesday that their current budget was roughly on par with their modest expectations at the halfway point, but that the 2010-2011 budget could be the most challenging in the county's history.

County to see fairer share of tax money

Stanislaus County will begin to get a fairer share of state property tax allocations following Wednesday's signing of Senate Bill 85, but the relief will last for just two years and still fall millions short of an equitable share.

Public Safety Facility moves forward

The Turlock City Council agreed on Tuesday to buy the final property needed to construct the previously approved 57,570 sq. ft. Public Safety Facility.

Committee continues to work towards making Turlock a better place to do business

The City of Turlock has a historic reputation of being a tough place to do business, with onerous restrictions and costly permits, but times have changed - in part due to the efforts of the Development Collaborative Advisory Committee.

Crowder, Manley ask for Hughson mayor’s resignation

Finger pointing reached a new level Monday night at the Hughson City Council meeting. The three council members, who were found to be in violation of several codes by the Civil Grand Jury, attempted to turn the tables on Hughson Mayor Ramon Bawanan.

City Council to consider Broadway parking changes

The Turlock City Council is slated to discuss changing the current one-hour parking restriction enforced on South Broadway between Market and A streets at their Tuesday meeting.

Four county employees lose their jobs due to decline in building

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved eliminating four filled, allocated positions in the Department of Planning and Community Development Building Permits Division on Tuesday, due to declining revenue.

Campaigning for a better Iraq

Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Republic of Iraq's Council of Representatives, visited Turlock Saturday on his 51st day spent campaigning for the coming, March 7 Iraqi parliamentary election.

Deadline looms for city homeless shelter solution

The future of homeless shelters in Turlock will be up for discussion at 6 p.m. on Thursday. As Turlock does not currently host a year-round emergency shelter for the homeless, 2007's Senate Bill 2 requires the city to either partner with neighboring communities to provide, build, and operate an emergency shelter by August 2011, or create a zone that allows the development of emergency shelters by right. Turlock's efforts to secure a regional shelter with ...

Turlock wastewater may go to westside

Modesto City Councilman Brad Hawn and Nick Penny, Director of Utility Planning and Projects for the City of Modesto, visited the Turlock City Council on Tuesday to discuss a regional project that would send recycled wastewater to water-starved farmers on the county's westside.

Commissioners discuss container restrictions

The Turlock Planning Commission's efforts to draft a citywide ordinance governing the use of cargo containers continued on Thursday, as commissioners considered possible restrictions for the use of containers in commercial zoning districts.

Council to consider cop cuts

In a cost-saving measure, the Turlock City Council will be asked to reduce the number of Turlock Police Officers funded through the general fund from 81 to 77. The proposal is expected to save the cash-strapped City of Turlock $436,000 per year, on top of $1.5 million in police department budget cuts over the past 18 months.

County looks to create regional rail system

High-Speed Rail may be coming down the tracks one day, but the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors entered into an agreement Tuesday to plan and develop a regional commuter rail system that could soon share those tracks.

Leaky roof to be fixed at TPD

The Turlock City Council took action to repair a leaking roof at the Turlock Police Department Tuesday evening, approving a $1,500 agreement with Vernon Construction and Roofing of Hughson.

Turlockers question General Plan premises

Nearly three years into the planning process, some Turlockers are still questioning the premise Turlock's General Plan Update – a document which will guide the city's growth for 20 years – is based on. Their concerns were aired at a public meeting to review the draft General Plan on Thursday evening, intended as an opportunity for the public to familiarize themselves with the near-final plan. The General Plan Update envisions Turlock growing ...

Council to consider strategic plan, adopt RDA ordinance

A special meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall to adopt Turlock's 2011-2013 Strategic Plan. The plan, a conceptual long-term planning document which will guide Turlock policy through 2013, has been in the works since March. Before that effort, the document had lain dormant since 2007 and expired in 2009. The delay and a cancelled April follow-up meeting intended to continue work on the plan ...

More affordable housing needed, finds report

While housing prices have dropped, California still needs more affordable housing, according to a new state Department of Housing and Community Development report. "Prior to the foreclosure crisis and current economic downturn (also known as the Great Recession), California had experienced decades of undersupply, contributing to significant price escalation and the affordability crisis," the report reads. "... While the recession of the early 1990s was most devastating with regard to poverty and unemployment, ...

Failing water meters to get upgrade

City expects no changes for skate park when police offices move

The future of Turlock's popular skate park, located adjacent to the current Turlock Police Department, is in question given the construction of the new Public Safety Facility several blocks away. Turlock Parks, Recreation, and Community commissioners posed the question a month ago: without the close police presence, would the park – home to some acts of crime throughout the years – continue? But commissioners learned Tuesday that the skate park will remain ...

Voters to decide library tax on June ballot

A voter supported one-eighth cent sales tax has been the lifeblood of the Stanislaus County Library since its 1995 inception. But the fate of that sales tax, due to expire in 2013, will be up to voters once again in the June 5, 2012 Primary Election, following the Board of Supervisors' Tuesday action to place the issue on the ballot for renewal. The county's dedicated library sales tax was the first such ...

Council looks at replacing failing water meters

The Turlock City Council will consider a $495,225 upgrade to the city's failing automated water meter reading system at their next meeting on Tuesday.

Planning passes on regional ag map

A countywide initiative intended to preserve agricultural land, driven by local mayors, was shot down by the Turlock Planning Commission on Thursday for sidestepping existing planning efforts and failing to truly protect farmland. The initiative, known as the Agricultural Preservation Plan Map 2050, asks cities to clearly define their borders as of the year 2050. By doing so, the areas outside of the 2050 boundaries would be preserved for agriculture. The plan ...

City balks at proposed storm drain regulations

Washing your own car or having sprinklers that splash onto the sidewalk could soon be illegal, due to a proposed new state storm water permit. The new permit, drafted by the State Water Resources Control Board, is based on a concept of "only rain down the drain." Planners say they're attempting to meet federal regulations, but local officials say they've gone far beyond the realm of reason. "The requirements are so prescriptive, ...

What should come first, money or a plan?

Should Turlock be practical, given budgetary constraints, or should it aim for the stars? The question was front and center at a special meeting of the Turlock City Council on Tuesday, where council members went to work updating the city's strategic plan. The plan, a conceptual long-term planning document which will guide Turlock policy through 2013, has been in the works since March. Before that effort, the document had lain dormant since ...

Stanislaus County receives federal grant for preventative health programs

A federal grant aimed at getting to the root causes of chronic diseases was recently awarded to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. The Capacity Building Grant of $293,899 was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a block of Community Transformation grants. The Capacity Building Grant money is to be used for laying the foundation for sustainable community prevention programs and practices that tackle smoking, ...

Ag secretary lauds Obama’s jobs plan in California

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the state this week, lauding the positive impacts President Barack Obama's proposed American Jobs Act would have on Californians. "The American Jobs Act provides common-sense steps we can take right now to put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans, without adding a dime to the deficit," Vilsack said to attendees at a business roundtable in Sacramento. The ...

Council votes to keep RDA options open

With the fate of redevelopment agencies statewide still hazy at best, a split Turlock City Council decided to keep its options open Tuesday, approving a resolution which will allow Turlock to decide whether or not to retain its agency at a later date. The move effectively informed the state that Turlock may eventually decide to issue a large "ransom" payment to the state in exchange for the right to keep its agency active, ...

Council to plan the future of Turlock

It's time for some long term planning, says Turlock City Hall.

City reports successful summer for rec programs

Turlock Parks and Recreation wrapped up a successful year of summer programming earlier this month. They saw high participation numbers across the board, and they received grant funding to offer summer programming to ACES after school program participants. "Our numbers were high from youth to adults. Summer went very well," said Erik Schulze, recreation senior supervisor. Turlock Recreation ran a special summer clinic for students who participated in the ACES after-school program ...