Council to vote on ‘In God We Trust’ mural

The Turlock City Council has a packed agenda for Tuesday evening, highlighted by a revisiting of plans to reconstruct the burned Carnegie Arts Center and an initiative to paint the words "In God We Trust" in Turlock City Hall.

Turlock looks to plan next 20 years of growth

The Turlock of 2030, a town that 115,000 may call home, is being planned today. That future Turlock could feature compact residential neighborhoods sprouting up southeast and northwest of Turlock, based on growth alternatives presented by San Francisco-based consultants Dyett & Bhatia Urban and Regional Planners.

Hughson employees cry foul over hidden cameras

Some Hughson city employees are concerned that their town leaders' political posturing has turned into a violation of their privacy rights.

County plans for next 25 years of transportation

Concerned Turlockers gathered at the Turlock Youth Center on Monday to help draft the 2010 Regional Transportation Plan, a document that will guide transportation in Stanislaus County for the next 25 years.

Council approves Debely renovations, despite public outcry

Despite an outpouring of public opposition to the proposed Joe Debely Stadium renovation project, the Turlock City Council, sitting as the Redevelopment Agency, made the findings necessary to move the project forward by a 3-1 vote.

Hughson gives city manager a second chance

The approximately 100 residents of Hughson that attended Monday's city council meeting weren't the only ones confused and caught-off guard with the conflicting agenda items that preceded an even more surprising closed session decision. Council members demonstrated their own confusion when discussing the hiring of potential city managers at a special meeting on Dec. 7, then not even an hour later taking back City Manager Joe Donabed with open arms.

Stadium remodel on council agenda

The $2.8 million renovation of Turlock High School's Joe Debely Stadium is chief on the list of priorities for Tuesday's City Council meeting, as councilmembers will decide on three agenda items that would usher the project into reality.

Turlock must plan for homeless housing, according to state law

The draft Turlock Housing Element update, a document that will prepare the City of Turlock to meet housing needs through 2014 and may include a provision that allows homeless shelters in Turlock, was released for public review and comment last week.

Council moves forward with Debely renovation

The Turlock City Council approved a list of more than 20 projects for Redevelopment Agency funding Tuesday evening - including the controversial plan to install a new synthetic track and field at Turlock High School's Joe Debely stadium.

Water rates could triple in six years

Members of the Turlock City Council have long backed a proposed surface water treatment plant, but on Tuesday they balked at a potential 300 percent increase in water rates associated with the project.

Hughson residents ‘embarrassed’ by their own city council

Hughson residents packed City Hall Monday night and stood in line to give City Council members a piece of their minds.

Cargo container legislation in the works

The City of Turlock may soon adopt a policy to address the countless cargo containers around town.

Down economy leads to creation of fee deferral program

In an effort to help developers bring their building plans to fruition in the current down economy, the City of Turlock will now offer a fee deferral program.

Local congressman laments governor over NFL stadium and the Delta Smelt

The Delta pumps being turned off over two years ago has stirred up quite the controversy. The dormant pumps have caused suffering in the Central Valley agriculture industry with a loss of more than 40,000 jobs. So why push aside environmental regulations for a National Football League stadium in Los Angeles and not push those regulations aside to get the water moving again throughout California?

‘Move over’ law gives Caltrans the right to rule the road

A new law allows Caltrans vehicles to have the same priority as ambulances, police officers and firetrucks with a flash of a light.

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 ...

Council hires firm to recruit new police chief

The search for Turlock's next full-time police chief kicked off Tuesday, when the Turlock City Council approved hiring Teri Black and Co. to conduct an executive recruitment process. The recruiter will be tasked with finding a successor to former Chief Gary Hampton, who left to head the Tracy Police Department on July 31. Since then, Dave Young has served as the Interim Chief of Police. The use of an outside recruiter drew ...

Council awaits decision on RDA take legality

The future of redevelopment remains hazy, but the City of Turlock is attempting to plan for whatever fate may befall redevelopment agencies statewide. The Turlock City Council held a special workshop Tuesday specifically to discuss the city's options following the state's action to force all redevelopment agencies to either close their doors, or pay large fees to the state. "I think it's just a wait and see for me right now," said ...